Greg Ferguson Fall 2015

and his group of graduate and under - graduate students are active in the areas of electrochemistry at the surface of gold and synthetic chemistry on silicon/ silicon dioxide. Current research in the first area focuses on the chemistry of the thermodynamically unstable oxide(s) of gold, which his group has used in NSF-funded work as a “protecting group” to allow regioselective synthesis on microelectrode arrays. These oxide studies have revealed new insights not only into the materials themselves, but also into the standard methods typically used in their analysis. A paper describing these results has been submitted for publication. Their work on Si/SiO2 is a collaborative project with Nick Strandwitz, an assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering. This project is funded by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance and explores the chemistry of cyclic azasilanes, as a means of functionalizing the surface of silicon (or its oxide) without by-products. Gelest, Inc. is a corporate partner in this research.