A Close Look at Molecular Self-Assembly with the Transmission Electron Microscope

Prof. Joe Patterson

Department of Chemistry, UC Irvine

September 23rd, 2022 2:00 – 2:50PM (Zoom link here)

Abstract

Molecular self-assembly is pervasive in the formation of living and synthetic materials. Knowledge gained from research into the principles of molecular self-assembly drives innovation in the biological, chemical, and materials sciences. Self-assembly processes span a wide range of temporal and spatial domains and are often unintuitive and complex. Studying such complex processes requires an arsenal of analytical and computational tools. Within this arsenal, the transmission electron microscope stands out for its unique ability to visualize and quantify self-assembly structures and processes. This talk will describe how Liquid and Cryogenic Electron Microscopy can be used to understand self-assembly molecular processes using example of small molecules, polymers and meal-organic frameworks.

Joe Patterson

Joseph (Joe) P. Patterson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Irvine. He received his Master’s Degree in Chemistry from the University of York, UK in 2009. In 2013 he completed his PhD in Chemistry under the guidance of Professor Rachel O’Reilly at the University of Warwick, UK. He worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, San Diego under the guidance of Professor Nathan Gianneschi. He also worked in the Laboratory of Materials and Interface Chemistry at the Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands under the guidance of Professor Nico Sommerdijk. His research includes the development of new materials through a deep understanding of their structural dynamics. He is particularly interested in the development and application of advanced electron microscopy methods. His awards include the MacroGroupUK Young Polymer Scientist of the Year in 2011, the 2013 Jon Weaver PhD Prize, for the best Ph.D. thesis in Polymer Chemistry in the UK, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship in 2017, a 2020 ACS PRF Doctoral New Investigator Award, a 2020 Beall Innovation Award, and a 2022 UCI Department of Chemistry Excellence in Mentorship Award. More information about Joe and his research can be found here (www.thepattersonlab.com).