Quantum and Functional Materials Chemistry

Education

I strive to inculcate the infinite mindset in higher ed, whereby students and educators are intrinsically motivated to explore and create rather than being extrinsically motivated by the acceptance they receive.

Research

Our team applies chemical logic and unmatched tunability innate to extended solids to address fundamental challenges in materials science and condensed matter physics. We place our emphasis on three crucial domains: creating and understanding multifunctional materials, advancing quantum information science, and developing a roadmap for navigating the journey of materials design and development.

News

Our research team receives an NSF CAREER Award. This grant will allow us to study materials chemistry for spin-based electronics while engaging students in quantum STEM disciplines. Many thanks to the NSF-DMR for the generous support!
Athira Babu and Keegan Hommerding joined our team as graduate students! Welcome aboard!
Kayla Lea and Pavel Herman joined our research team as undergraduate researchers. Welcome aboard!
Thao attends the 2023 Beckman Symposium in Irvine Ca. Many thanks to the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation!
Keegan attends the 2023 North American Solid State Chemistry Workshop and Conference in Calgary, Canada.
Thao attends the Quantum Materials Workshop at Oak Ridge National Lab and shares the research we have fun doing. Thanks, Stuart and Adam, for the kind invitation!
Our research team receives a Beckman Young Investigator Award. This recognition/grant will enable us to further explore chemistry for quantum technologies. Many thanks to the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation for the generous support!
Xudong attends and presents a poster at the User Meeting at ORNL.
Thao attends the NSF MPS workshop in DC.
Congratulations, Ebube, on his PhD defense! It’s wonderful to have you in our team. We’re excited for your next journey as a postdoc with Prof. Alison Altman (Texas A&M).
Annie, Keegan, and Xudong are recipients of the 2023 Chemistry Department Student Awards. Congratulations! We’re so proud of you!
Ethan, our former REU student, has been awarded the 2023 Goldwater Scholarship. Congratulations, Ethan! Well-deserved!
Thao gives an invited talk at Huazhong University of Science & Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China. Thanks, Hongcheng, for the kind invitation!
Xudong presents a talk at the APS March Meeting. Wonderful job, Xudong!
Our team gives a poster presentation at the Chemistry Research Symposium.
Collin and Zoe joined the team as part of the Creative Inquiry Project. Welcome aboard!
Thao gives an invited talk at Georgia Tech. Thanks, Martin, for the kind invitation!
Our group has been awarded a CU-MRI grant in partnership with Prof. Hugo Sanabria (Co-PI, Physics). This grant will allow us to advance the optical spectroscopy capabilities with white light lasers and detection cameras, propelling research activities across disciplines such as innovative materials, nanotechnology, and biophysics. Many thanks to the VPR office and CU for the huge support!
Our research team receives an NSF EPSCOR award! This grant will fund our collaborative work with Oak Ridge National Lab on coupling magnetism and photoluminescence in new materials. Many thanks to the NSF for the generous support!
Xudong’s brief review has been accepted in Annu. Rev. Mater. Res. Congrats, Xudong! Thanks, Ram, for the kind invitation for submission!
Ebube’s work on new multifunctional lanthanide materials has been accepted in Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Congrats! Thanks, everyone on the paper, for making it possible!
Uchenna joined the team as a first-year graduate student. Welcome aboard!
Jared, Keegan, and Annie joined the team as part of the Creative Inquiry Project. Welcome aboard!
We launched a Creative Inquiry Undergraduate Research Project “Converging Education and Research in Materials Design and Development”. Thanks, CU, for the continued support!
Ebube’s work on new Gd(III) materials has been accepted and featured in ACS Inorganic & Organic Au. Congrats, Ebube!
Our collaborative work with Michal has been published in J. Phys. Chem. C. It is always fun working with you and your team, Michal!
Thao gives an invited talk at the 5th International Union of Materials Research Societies International Conference of Young Researchers on Advanced Materials, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. Thanks, Huiwen, for the kind invitation!
Thao serves on the Early Career Editorial Board of Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids. Thanks, Craig, for the support and nomination!
Ethan joined the team as a REU student. Welcome aboard!
Thao gives a seminar at UMass Amherst. Thanks, James, for the kind invitation!
Erich has been awarded the Senior Undergraduate Research Award. Well-deserved, Erich! We wish you all the best for your next chapter!
Xudong was a trailblazer for many creative ideas and heavy lifts, in partnership with the other team members, that enable us to venture into Wien2k, Python, new synthetic capabilities. Xudong, we’re indeed fortunate to have you in the team and genuinely appreciate you and all the work you do!
Ebube presents a talk at the 2022 Spring ACS.
Ebube is a recipient of the Graduate Research Award in Chemistry. Congratulations, Ebube! Special thanks to the other students in the team for the collective effort.
Thao gives an invited talk at Capstone Symposium, Clemson University. Tania, we appreciate you organizing this conversation!
Thao presents an invited seminar at University at Albany, SUNY. Thanks, Michael, for the kind invitation!
Thao gives an invited talk at the College of Charleston. Thanks, Marcello, for the kind invitation!
Ebube’s second paper has been accepted in Inorg. Chem. Keep up the momentum, Ebube! This would have been impossible without the contribution of our wonderful collaborators – Michal, Allen, Maurice and Keith. Thank you!
Thao gives a talk at the 2021 Fall ACS.
Thao gives a faculty seminar to first-year graduate students in the Department of Chemistry, CU.
Hanka joined the team as an exchange graduate student from Gdansk University of Technology. Welcome, Hanka!
Thao presents an invited seminar at the 2021 ACA. Thanks, Ben and Jared for the kind invitation!
Thao gives an invited talk at the 2021 NASSCC. Thanks, Brent, for the kind invitation!
Emmanuel joined the team. Welcome, Emmanuel!
Ebube’s first paper has been accepted in Chem. Mater. Keep up the great work, Ebube! We thank our wonderful collaborators from Gdansk University of Technology, Pedagogical University- Institute of Physics, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.