George M. Whitesides

Professor Whitesides and his group work in four areas: biochemistry, materials science, catalysis and physical organic chemistry. Each of these areas requires development of the fundamental skills of experimental chemistry - synthesis and characterization of new compounds, examination of relations between molecular structure and reactivity or physical properties - but each, in addition, develops skill in other techniques - surface spectroscopy, microbiology, electron microscopy, ellipsometry, reactor design, measurement of such physical properties. The group is eclectic and generalist in its approach: at different times research on a particular problem may require organic synthesis, organometallic chemistry, spectroscopy, computer analysis, biochemistry, molecular biology or a wide range of other techniques.

The specific foci of the research vary widely. Work in biochemistry currently centers on adhesion of mammalian cells, viruses and bacteria to surfaces, polyvalency, rational drug design, and biophysical studies centered around capillary electrophoresis and surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. Those coworkers concerned with materials science are occupied with the fabrication of nanostructures, microfluidic systems, microelectromechanical systems, and 3-D microstructures. The synthesis and characterization of structurally well-defined organic surfaces (especially using self-assembled monolayers) and solids, and the use of these assemblies to study physical properties such as wettability and biocompatibility, are an important component of this work. This area also includes studies in physical optics and unconventional methods of lithography (soft lithography; various forms of near-field optical lithography). Much of the work in catalysis centers on fuel cells. Problems in physical-organic chemistry address issues in self-assembly, especially using meso-scale systems (objects with dimensions from 10 µm - 10 mm, held together by capillary and/or magnetic forces). Computation and simulation is also important tools in the group.

The group uses classical chemical techniques to work in areas of research that lie at the boundaries between chemistry and biology, catalysis, solid state physics, and engineering. Students who work in the group emerge as generalists, and there is a strong emphasis in learning how to carry out multidisciplinary and multiinvestigator research, and how to communicate the results of research effectively.

Selected Publications

"Imaging profiles of light intensity in the near field: applications to phase-shift photolithography", Aizenberg, J.; Rogers, J. A.; Paul, K. E. and Whitesides, G. M., Appl. Optics 1998,37, 2145-2152.

"Spontaneous formation of ordered structures in thin films of metals supported on an elastomeric polymer", Bowden, N.; Brittain, S.; Evans, A. G.; Hutchinson, J. W. and Whitesides, G. M., Nature 1998,393, 146-149.

"Soft lithography and microfabrication", Brittain, S.; Paul, K.; Zhao, X.-M. and Whitesides, G., Physics World 1998,11, 31-36.

"Protein Charge Ladders, Capillary Electrophoresis, and the Role of Electrostatics in Biomolecular Recognition", Carbeck, J. D.; Colton, I. J.; Gao, J. and Whitesides, G. M., Acc. Chem. Res. 1998,31, 343-350.

"Studying How Different Terminal Groups Change the Motion of H2NSO2C6H4CONH(EG)3R When Bound to the Active Site of Human Carbonic Anhydrase II", Chin, D. N.; Lau, A. Y. and Whitesides, G. M., J. Org. Chem. 1998,63, 938-945.

"Affinity capillary electrophoresis: A physical-organic tool for studying interactions in biomolecular recognition", Colton, I. J.; Carbeck, J. D.; Rao, J. and Whitesides, G. M., Electrophoresis 1998,19, 367-382.

"Affinity Capillary Electrophoresis: Using Capillary Electrophoresis to Study the Interactions of Proteins with Ligands", Gao, J.; Mrksich, M.; Mammen, M. and Whitesides, G. M. In High Performance Capillary Electrophoresis: Theory, Techniques, and Applications, vol.146, Khaledi, M. G., Ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1998 , 947-972.

"Molecular Conformation in Oligo(ethylene glycol)-Terminated Self-Assembled Monolayers on Gold and Silver Surfaces Determines Their Ability To Resist Protein Adsorption", Harder, P.; Grunze, M.; Dahint, R.; Whitesides, G. M. and Laibinis, P. E., J. Phys. Chem. B 1998,102, 426-436.

"Fabrication of Three-Dimensional Microstructures by Electrochemically Welding Structures Formed by Microcontact Printing on Planar and Curved Substrates", Jackman, R. J.; Brittain, S. T. and Whitesides, G. M., J. MEMS 1998,7, 261-266.

"Fabricating Large Arrays of Microwells with Arbitrary Dimensions and Filling Them Using Discontinuous Dewetting", Jackman, R. J.; Duffy, D. C.; Ostuni, E.; Willmore, N. D. and Whitesides, G. M., Anal. Chem. 1998,70, 2280-2287.

"Design and Fabrication of Topologically Complex, Three-Dimensional Microstructures", Jackman, R. J.; Brittain, S. T.; Adams, A.; Prentiss, M. G. and Whitesides, G. M., Science 1998,280, 2089-2091.

"Using a Convenient, Quantitative Model for Torsional Entropy To Establish Qualitative Trends for Molecular Processes That Restrict Conformational Freedom", Mammen, M.; Shakhnovich, E. I. and Whitesides, G. M., J. Org. Chem. 1998,63, 3168-3175.

"Estimating the Entropic Cost of Self-Assembly of Multiparticle Hydrogen-Bonded Aggregates Based on the Cyanuric AcidoMelamine Lattice", Mammen, M.; Shakhnovich, E. I.; Deutch, J. M. and Whitesides, G. M., J. Org. Chem. 1998,63, 3821-3830.

"Patterning of a Polysiloxane Precursor to Silicate Glasses by Microcontact Printing", Marzolin, C.; Terfort, A.; Tien, J. and Whitesides, G. M., Thin Solid Films 1998,315, 9-12.

"A Methanol/Dioxygen Biofuel Cell that uses NAD+-dependent Dehydrogenases as Catalysts: Application of an Electro-Enzymatic Method to Regenerate Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide at Low Overpotentials", Palmore, G. T. R.; Bertschy, H.; Bergens, S. H. and Whitesides, G. M., J. Electroanalyt. Chem. 1998,443, 155-161.

"Microfabrication, Microstructures and Microsystems", Qin, D.; Xia, Y.; Rogers, J. A.; Jackman, R. J.; Zhao, X.-M. and Whitesides, G. M. In Microsystem Technology in Chemistry and Life Sciences, vol.194, Manz, A. and Becker, H., Eds.; Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1998 , 1-20.

"Photolithography with transparent reflective photomasks", Qin, D.; Xia, Y.; Black, A. J. and Whitesides, G. M., J. Vac. Sci. & Technol. B 1998,16, 98-103.

"Alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers as the dielectric of capacitors with nanoscale thickness", Rampi, M. A.; Schueller, O. J. A. and Whitesides, G. M., Appl. Phys. Lett. 1998,72, 1781-3.

"A Trivalent System from VancomycinoD-Ala-D-Ala with Higher Affinity Than AvidinoBiotin", Rao, J.; Lahiri, J.; Isaacs, L.; Weis, R. M. and M., W. G., Science 1998,280, 708-711.

"Using Mixed Self-Assembled Monolayers Presenting RGD and (EG)3OH Groups To Characterize Long-Term Attachment of Bovine Capillary Endothelial Cells to Surfaces", Roberts, C.; Chen, C. S.; Mrksich, M.; Martichonok, V.; Ingber, D. E. and Whitesides, G. M., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998,120, 6548-6555.

"Quantifying distortions in soft lithography", Rogers, J. A.; Paul, K. E. and Whitesides, G. M., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 1998,16, 88-97.

"Generating ~90 nanometer features using near-field contact-mode photolithography with an elastomeric phase mask", Rogers, J. A.; Paul, K. E.; Jackman, R. J. and Whitesides, G. M., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 1998,26, 59-68.

"Thermally-Actuated Reflection Mode Asymmetric Fabry-Perot Modulator Utilizing a Thin Transparent Elastomeric Film", Rogers, J. A.; Schueller, O. J. A. and Whitesides, G. M., Appl. Phys. Lett. 1998,72, 1951-1953.

"Effect of Surface Wettability on the Adsorption of Proteins and Detergents", Sigal, G. B.; Mrksich, M. and Whitesides, G. M., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998,120, 3464-3473.

"Self-Assembly of an Operating Electrical Circuit Based on Shape Complementarity and the Hydrophobic Effect", Terfort, A. and Whitesides, G. M., Adv. Mater. 1998,10, 470-473.

"Microcontact Printing of SAMs", Tien, J.; Xia, Y. and Whitesides, G. M. In Thin Films, vol.24, Ulman, A., Ed. Academic Press, 1998 , 227-253.

"Use of Electroless Silver as the Substrate in Microcontact Printing of Alkanethiols, and Its Application in Microfabrication", Xia, Y.; Venkateswaran, N.; Qin, D.; Tien, J. and Whitesides, G. M., Langmuir 1998,14, 363-371.

"Soft Lithography", Xia, Y. and Whitesides, G. M., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 1998,37, 550-575.

"Soft Lithography", Xia, Y. and Whitesides, G. M., Annu. Rev. Mater. Sci. 1998,28, 153-184.

"Patterning a Preformed, Reactive SAM Using Microcontact Printing", Yan, L.; Zhao, X.-M. and Whitesides, G. M., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998,120, 6179-6180.

"Fabrication of microstructures using shrinkable polystyrene films", Zhao, X.-M.; Xia, Y.; Schueller, O.; Qin, D. and Whitesides, G. M., Sensors and Actuators A: Physical 1998,65, 209-217.

Contact Tracie Smart:
Phone: 495-9431, FAX: 495-9857