Chemical Society Seminar: Kallie Willets - Feeling hot, hot, hot: how single molecules report temperature-dependent processes on plasmonic nanoparticle surfaces
Abstract:
Plasmonic nanostructures have long been appreciated for their ability to harvest light and transform it into other forms of energy, including thermal energy (heat) and chemical energy (hot charge carriers), which can impact dynamic processes happening at or near the nanoparticle surface. This talk will discuss how single molecule fluorescence and super-resolution imaging can be used to interrogate the effects of local heating on the surface of plasmonic nanostructures as well as recent progress towards the development of a nanothermometry technique capable of reporting on quantitative temperature with <20 nm spatial resolution.
Bio:
Katherine (Kallie) Willets is the Robert L. Smith Early Career Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Temple University. She received a B.A. in Chemistry from Dartmouth College in 1999, performing undergraduate research in the labs of both Charles L. Braun and Jane E.G. Lipson. After graduation, she moved to Stanford University to pursue her Ph.D. in the lab of W.E. Moerner, receiving her degree in Physical Chemistry in 2005. From 2005-2007, she conducted postdoctoral research with Richard Van Duyne at Northwestern University before beginning her independent faculty career at the University of Texas at Austin in 2007. In 2015, she moved to Temple University in Philadelphia, where she runs a research lab focusing on understanding heterogeneity at nanoscale interfaces. She has been recognized with an Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Award and a Department of Energy Early Career Award and served as a member of the Defense Science Study Group. In addition to her research efforts, Willets has received multiple teaching awards and currently runs several programs aimed at strengthening the climate within Chemistry to promote a more inclusive, welcoming and equitable environment.