Biography

John M. Papanikolas
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., University of Colorado at Boulder, 1994

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Department: Chemistry
Address: Venable Hall 18-1F
Email: john_papanikolas@unc.edu
Homepage: http://www.chem.unc.edu/people/faculty/papanikolasjm/jmpindex.html
Phone: 919-962-1619
Fax: 919-962-2388

Research Statement:

Professor Papanikolas' research interests center on the physical chemistry of functional nanoscale materials. His goal is to determine how the molecular architecture of a material affects its functional performance. Using a combination of ultrafast spectroscopy and large-scale computer simulation, Papanikolas has explored the excited state energy migration dynamics in molecular assemblies consisting of approximately twenty Ru(II) polypyridyl chromophores bound to polystyrene. These macromolecules exhibit extraordinarily high efficiencies for energy transfer, and this has prompted further exploration of their functional capabilities. He has applied femtosecond spectroscopy to the study of excited state dynamics in transition metal complexes, and enhanced our understanding of these tunable molecular systems.

Education:

Positions:

Selected Honors:

• UNC Junior Faculty Development Award (1997)