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Luke Nambi Mohanam

Luke Nambi Mohanam

Postdoctoral Research Associate

lnm224@lehigh.edu
Education:

Ph.D. in Chemistry, University of California, Irvine(UCI) (2021)

Bachelor of Science (First Class Honours), in Chemistry, National University of Singapore (2014)

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Biography

Dr. Mohanam is currently in the Fredin Research Group in the department of Chemistry at Lehigh University, currently studying the predicted electronic conductivity of organic semiconductor crystals. His research is in the topic of Density Functional Theory for electronic structure, in the area of insightful modeling of the electronic structure of molecules and materials. This track begun with undergraduate studies at the National University of Singapore with research through the academically focused University Scholar’s Programme, followed by an internship at A*STAR. Committing to the theoretical and computational chemistry graduate track at University of California, Irvine, Dr. Mohanam earned his doctorate with Prof. Filipp Furche, focusing on response calculations for excited state properties of molecules. Subsequently, Dr. Mohanam pivoted to the electrical and computer engineering department of Boston University to work with Prof. Sahar Sharifzadeh on modeling the electronic structure of bio-inspired materials as part of the Center for Complex and Active Materials. 

[10] L.N. Mohanam, R. Umeda, L. Gu, Y. Song, D.J. Tobias, A.I. Hochbaum, R. Wu, S. Sharifzadeh, Investigating electron conductivity regimes in the bacterial cytochrome wire OmcS Journal of Physical Chemistry B 129 (46), 11889-11900 2025 [Link] 

[9] P. Mastracco, L. Mohanam, G. Nagaro, S. Prusty, Y. Oh, R. Wu, Q. Cui, A. Hochbaum, S. Copp, S. Sharifzadeh, Dynamic electronic structure fluctuations in the de novo peptide ACC-dimer revealed by first-principles theory and machine learning Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling 65 (5), 2503-2512 2025 [Link]

[4] L. N. Mohanam and A. J. Holton Intermolecular Forces Game: Using a Card Game to Engage Students in Reviewing Intermolecular Forces and Their Relationship to Boiling Points Journal of Chemical Education 97(11), 4044–4048 2020 [Link] 

[3] T. F. Jenkins, D. H. Woen, L. N. Mohanam , J. W. Ziller, F. Furche, and W. J. Evans Tetramethylcyclopentadienyl Ligands Allow Isolation of Ln(II) Ions across the Lanthanide Series in [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][(C5Me4H)3Ln] Complexes Organometallics 37(21), 3863–3873 2018 [Link]

Teaching

[Spring 2026] Physical Chemistry Laboratory, Chm 343, Instructor

[Summer 2025] 5th Annual Lehigh Quantum Chemistry Workshop, Chemistry Department, Facilitator