Michael J. Therien
Michael J. Therien

Michael Therien

William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Chemistry

Overview

Our research involves the synthesis of compounds, supramolecular assemblies, nano-scale objects, and electronic materials with unusual ground-and excited-state characteristics, and interrogating these structures using state-of-the-art transient optical, spectroscopic, photophysical, and electrochemical methods. Over chemical dimensions that span molecules to materials, we probe experimental and theoretical aspects of charge migration reactions and ultrafast electron transfer processes. Insights into the structure-property relationships of molecular, nanoscale, and macroscopic materials allow us to fabricate polarizable and hyperpolarizable chromophores, structures for molecular electronics applications, optical limiters, and a wide range of other electrooptic and photonic materials that include novel conducting polymers, structures for solar energy conversion, and new platforms for in vivo optical imaging. Other efforts in our laboratory involve the elaborating de novo electron- and energy-transfer proteins, interrogating catalytic redox reactions, designing catalysts for small molecule activation, and developing new tools to manipulate nanoscale structures.

Positions

William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Chemistry in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences

2009 Trinity College of Arts & Sciences

Professor of Chemistry in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences

2008 Trinity College of Arts & Sciences

Faculty Network Member of The Energy Initiative in the University Initiatives & Academic Support Units

2012 University Initiatives & Academic Support Units

Member of the Duke Cancer Institute in the School of Medicine

2008 School of Medicine

Education

B.S. 1982

1982 University of St. Andrews (United Kingdom)

Ph.D. 1987

1987 University of California, San Diego

NIH Postdoctoral Research Fellow, CHEMISTRY

1990 California Institute of Technology

Publications, Grants & Awards

Offices & Contact

5330 French Family Science Cen
Durham, NC
27708
Box 90346
Durham, NC
27708-0346