Profile

The Brozek Lab studies redox processes of the "nanoscale gap" between small molecules and macroscopic materials. Systems existing on this size regime are widely pursued for tackling problems in energy capture and sustainable growth, and yet their intermediary behavior resists description by conventional concepts and tools. Our goal is to investigate the fundamental properties of compounds that blur the distinction between molecules and materials, and leverage this insight for designing better catalysts and electronic devices.

We synthesize soft materials, such as colloidal clusters, porous polymers, ionic liquids, and use physical inorganic methods to study their unique redox properties. By combining molecular precision with material characteristics, we can ask: What is the relationship between conductivity and reactivity? How does dynamic bonding impact delocalized behavior? How does the Seebeck effect emerge from molecules? In addition to these areas, students acquire training in air-free synthesis, spectroscopy, electrochemical techniques, and solid-state characterization.