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Lin X. Chen

Professor of Chemistry; Senior Chemist, Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory

Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry, The University of Chicago, 1987; B.S. in Chemistry,Peking University, 1982

Research Interests

Our research has been focused on two aspects that are related to photon and matter interaction relevant to solar energy conversion and storage.  In the first project, we study optical responses of transition metal complexes and nanoparticles under light illumination mimicking reactions initiated by the sunlight.  We use ultrafast transient laser spectroscopy to follow the electron movements and couplings as well as coherence during interaction with light, and then use laser initiated time-resolved x-ray transient absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to track both electronic configurations and nuclear positions by synchrotron x-ray sources and x-ray free electron laser sources.  In the second project, we investigate electronic processes in organic materials relevant to photovoltaic applications and molecular devices within the context of exciton formation, diffusion, splitting and charge carrier transport.  These properties will be correlated with structures and dynamics related to organic photovoltaic functions in different organic photovoltaic materials. 

Selected Publications

Cobaloxime-Based Artificial Hydrogenases, Marine Bacchi, Gustav Berggren, Jens Niklas, Elias Veinberg, Michael W. Mara, Megan L. Shelby, Oleg G. Poluektov, Lin X. Chen, David M. Tiede, Christine Cavazza, Martin J. Field, Marc Fontecave, Vincent Artero, Inorg. Chem. 53, 8071-8082 (2014).

New Insight into Metalloporphyrin Excited State Structures and Axial Ligand Binding from X-ray Transient Absorption Spectroscopic Studies, M. L. Shelby, M. W. Mara, L. X. Chen, (Invited) Coord. Chem. Rev. 277, 291-299 (2014).

Interplays of Excited State Structures and Dynamics in Copper(I) Diimine Complexes: Implications and Perspectives, M. W. Mara, K. A. Fransted, L.X. Chen, (Invited) Coord. Chem. Rev. DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2014.06.013 (2014).

Highly Accurate Excited-State Structure of [Os(bpy)2dcbpy]2+ Determined by X-ray Transient Absorption Spectroscopy, Xiaoyi Zhang, Sophie E. Canton, Grigory Smolentsev, Carl-Johan Wallentin, Yizhu Liu, Qingyu Kong, Klaus Attenkofer, Andrew. B. Stickrath, Michael W. Mara, Lin X. Chen, Kenneth Wärnmark, Villy Sundström, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 136, 8804–8809 (2014).

Photovoltaic Functions of Intramolecular Charge Transfer Copolymers: Exciton and Charge Transfer Dynamics Studies of PTB7, Jodi M. Szarko, Brian S. Rolczynski, Sylvia J. Lou, Tao Xu, Tobin J. Marks, Luping Yu, Lin X. Chen, Adv. Func. Mater. 24, 10-26 (2014).

Ab Initio Modeling of Excitonic and Charge-Transfer States in Organic Semiconductors: The PTB1/PCBM Low Band Gap System, Itamar Borges, Jr., Adélia J. A. Aquino, Andreas Köhn, Reed Nieman, William L. Hase, Lin X. Chen, and Hans Lischka, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135, 18252−18255 (2013).

Controlling Conformations of Conjugated Polymers and Small Molecules: The Role of Nonbonding Interactions, Nicholas E. Jackson, Brett M. Savoie, Kevin L. Kohlstedt, Monica Olvera de la Cruz, George C. Schatz, Lin X. Chen, Mark A. Ratner, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135, 10475–10483, (2013).

Ultrafast Structural Dynamics of bis(2,9-di-phenyl-1,10-phenanthroline)copper(I) Using X-ray Transient Absorption Spectroscopy, Michael W. Mara, Jier Huang, Andrew B. Stickrath, Michael R. Harpham, Kristoffer M. Haldrup, Nosheen A. Gothard and Lin X. Chen, accepted J. Phys. Chem. B. (2013) 117, 1921–1931; DOI: 10.1021/jp311643t

Highly Efficient Ultrafast Electron Injection from the Singlet MLCT Excited State of CuI-Diimine Complexes to TiO2 Nanoparticles, J. Huang, O. Buyukcakir, M. W. Mara, A. Coskun, N. M. Dimitrijevic, G. Barin, O. Kokhan, A. B. Stickrath, R. Ruppert, D. M. Tiede, J. F. Stoddart, J.-P. Sauvage, L. X. Chen, Angew. Chem. Intl. Ed. 124 12883 (2012).

Photodriven Charge Separation Dynamics in CdSe/ZnS Core/ Shell Quantum Dot/Cobaloxime Hybrid for Efficient Hydrogen Production, J. Huang, K. L. Mulfort, P. Du, L. X. Chen, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 134, 16472 (2012).

Ultrafast Intramolecular Exciton Splitting Dynamics in Isolated Low Bandgap Polymers and Their Implications in Photovoltaic Materials Design, B. S. Rolczynski, J. M. Szarko, H. J. Son, Y. Liang, L. Yu, L. X. Chen, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 134 , 4142 (2012).

X-ray Transient Absorption and Picosecond IR Spectroscopy of Fulvalene(tetracarbonyl) diruthenium on Photoexcitation, M. R. Harpham, S. C. Nguyen, Z. Hou, J. C. Grossman, C. B. Harris, M. W. Mara, A. B. Stickrath, Y. Kanai, A. M. Kolpak, D. Lee, D.-J. Liu, J. P. Lomont, K. Moth-Poulsen, N. Vinokurov, L. X. Chen, K. P. C. Vollhardt, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 51, 7692 (2012).

Coherence in Metal-Metal-to-Ligand-Charge-Transfer Transitions of a Dimetallic Complex Revealed by Ultrafast Transient Absorption Anisotropy, S. Cho, M. W. Mara, X. Wang, J. V. Lockard, A. A. Rachford, F. N. Castellano, L. X. Chen, J. Phys. Chem. A., 115, 3990 (2011).

When Function Follows Form: Effects of Side-Chains in Conjugated Copolymers on Film Morphology and BHJ Solar Cell Performance, J. M. Szarko, J. Guo, Y. Liang, B. Lee, B. S. Rolczynski, J. Strzalka, T. Xu, S. Loser, T. Marks, L. Yu, L. X. Chen, Advanced Materials, VIP article 22, 5468 (2010).

Tracking Electrons and Atoms in a Photoexcited Metalloporphyrin, L. X. Chen, X. Zhang, E. C. Wasinger, K. Attenkofer, G. Jennings, A. Z. Muresan, J. S. Lindsey, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129, 9616 (2007).

Ultrafast Structural Rearrangements in the MLCT Excited State for Copper(I) bis Phenanthrolines in Solution, G. B. Shaw, C. D. Grant, H. Shirota, E. W. Castner Jr., G. J. Meyer, L. X. Chen, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129, 2147 (2007).

Probing Excited State Structures and Dynamics of Metal Complexes Using Time-resolved X-rays, L. X. Chen, Ann. Rev. Phys. Chem. 56, 221-254 (2005).

Capturing a Photoexcited Molecular Structure Through Time-Domain X-ray Absorption Fine Structure, L. X. Chen, W. J. H. Jäger, G. Jennings, D. J. Gosztola, A. Munkholm, J. P. Hessler, Science, 292, 262-264(2001).