| Robert B. Lennox | |||||||||||
ProfessorB.Sc. (University of Toronto, 1979) |
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Materials Chemistry |  |
Synthesis/ Catalysis |
Research Description:
Research in this laboratory is oriented around structure/property relationships of classes of molecules which form interfaces. This takes us into molecular design and synthesis (of novel surfactants and lipids), kinetics studies (enzymology), surface chemical techniques (Langmuir films, electrochemistry, scanning probe microscopy), spectroscopy (NMR, IR) and polymer chemistry. A self-guided tour of our efforts at the nano-frontier is available here. In addition to the research that is performed directly in our labs, we also work with researchers in Pharmacology, Physics, Chemical Engineering, and Materials Science on collaborative projects. Some examples of ongoing projects in this laboratory include:
* the synthesis of stabilized gold and platinum nanoparticles
* the application of these nanoparticles in drug delivery, biorecognition schemes, and as tracers in materials diffusion problems
* the synthesis and assessment (using electron microscopy and 2H NMR) of novel two-headed lipids
* the relationships between complex lipid dynamics (flip-flop), lipid reactivity, and enzyme (phospholipase A2) activity
* the preparation and application of novel lipids and polymers as two-dimensional lithography masks
* the development of ion channel-based electrochemical biosensors
* the development of cantilever-based sensors
* the use of surfaces, and surface features, as templates for chemical reactions
* the development of an in vivo sensor for ascorbate and dopamine
Students undertaking any of these projects will gain experience in physical organic principles, spectroscopic methods, scanning probe and electron microscopy, electrochemical techniques, and surface chemistry. Recent graduates and PDFs are currently in academic positions (U. de Montréal, Guelph, Saskatchewan, Concordia), government research labs (CNRS Strasbourg), industry (H-Power Corp., Unilever, Sun Chemical), and postdoctoral research positions (Technical University, Denmark).
Currently Teaching:
CHEM-534 Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
CHEM-634 Seminar in Advanced Materials