Ronald A. Smaldone, PhD
Organic and Materials Chemistry
Education
B. S. 2003, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Ph.D. 2008, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Postdoctoral Associate 2008-2012, Northwestern University
Research Description
Many of the world’s pressing problems, such as clean energy solutions and improving human health, call for the design of new and more advanced materials that serve to meet these challenges. Our group is primarily interested in the design of novel organic and inorganic materials by using the principles of supramolecular chemistry, organic synthesis and biomimetic self-assembly. Specifically, our research focuses on several key areas:
- Developing new methods for the synthesis and processing of porous materials and polymers for the storage of hydrogen, natural gas and electrical power.
- The design and synthesis of novel polycyclic aromatic building blocks for the development of electrically-active and highly-ordered solid state materials.
- Using synthetically functionalized biomolecules (i.e., DNA and peptides) to direct the formation of nanostructured devices and soft-materials.
We are currently looking for highly-motivated graduate and undergraduate students to join us!
Selected Publications
Forgan, R. S., Smaldone, R. A.; Gassensmith, J. J.; Furukawa, H.; Cordes, D. B.; Li, Q.; Wilmer, C.; Botros, Y. Y.; Snurr, R. Q.; Slawin, A. M. Z.; Stoddart, J. F. “Nanoporous Carbohydrate Metal-Organic Frameworks” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 406–417.
Boyle, M. M.; Smaldone, R. A.; Whalley, A.; Ambrogio, M.; Stoddart, J. F. “Mechanized Materials” Chem. Sci. 2011, 2, 204–210.
Smaldone, R. A.; Forgan, R. S.; Furukawa, H.; Gassensmith, J. J.; Slawin, A. M. Z.; Yaghi, O. M.; Stoddart, J. F.; “Metal-Organic Frameworks from Edible Natural Products” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2010, 49, 8630–8634.
Smaldone, R. A.; Moore, J. S. “Foldamers as Reactive Sieves: Reactivity as a Probe of Conformational Flexibility” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 5444–5450.
- Updated: March 29, 2018
