Operando spectroscopy for functional materials
Our Research
The Schlenker Group integrates synthetic chemistry, spectroscopy, and device engineering to reveal fundamental principles and advanced materials design concepts with technological relevance. Example targets include low-cost, high-efficiency solar photovoltaics, stable high-capacity rechargeable batteries, and scalable photocatalysts. Our unifying scientific goal is to more deeply understand electronic dynamics within heterogeneous condensed phases by measuring the system response under its native operating conditions using advanced spectroscopic techniques.
Our Tools
1) Our materials design strategies are informed by physical characterization, such as femtosecond optical pump-probe spectroscopy, time-resolved luminescence, electrochemistry, time-resolved electrical measurements, in situ and ex situ structural characterization, and much more.
2) From surface chemistry to molecular semiconducting dyes to functional nanostructure composites, we make materials to test targeted, data-driven physical hypotheses.
C.W. SCHLENKER
Washington Research Foundation Innovation
Associate Professor of Chemistry & Clean Energy
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
Department of Chemistry &
UW Clean Energy Institute
Bagley Hall
Seattle, WA 98195
schlenk [at] uw.edu
Tyson Carr and Emma Cave's article "Selective kinetic control of interfacial charge transfer reactions in Si-composite anodes for Li-ion batteries" published in RSC Energy Advances
Sep 13, 2024
Tyson and Emma's article "Selective kinetic control of interfacial charge transfer reactions in Si-composite anodes for Li-ion batteries" is now available online from RSC Energy Advances. The article and accompanying artwork was additionally featured on the issue's cover. Congratulations to Emma and Tyson
Liam Wrigley Defends his Thesis
Aug 14, 2024
Congratulations to Liam on receiving his PhD! We wish Dr. Wrigley the best of luck in his next endeavors!
Liam Wrigley and Doyk Hwang's article "Optically Gated Dissociation of a Heptazinyl Radical Liberates H• through a Reactive πσ* State" published in ACS Physical Chemistry Au
Jul 5, 2024
Liam and Doyk's article "Optically Gated Dissociation of a Heptazinyl Radical Liberates H• through a Reactive πσ* State" is now available online from ACS Physical chemistry Au. Congratulations to Liam and Doyk!
Doyk Hwang and Liam Wrigley's Heptazine Local Hydrogen Bonding Article Published in Journal of Physical Chemistry B
Jul 20, 2023
Doyk and Liam's article "Local Hydrogen Bonding Determines Branching Pathways in Intermolecular Heptazine Photochemistry" is now available online from the Journal of Physical Chemistry B. Congratulations to Liam and Doyk!
Emma Cave Defends her Thesis
Jun 6, 2023
Congratulations to Emma on receiving her PhD! Dr. Cave has accepted a position at Group14 Technologies here in Washington. We wish the best of luck to Emma in her new positon!
Emma Cave receives 2022-23 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership Award
Mar 21, 2023
Congratulations to Emma on being selected as a recipient of the 2022-23 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership award by the Chemistry Diversity and Equity Steering Committee! This recognizes Emma's efforts toward the creation of a diverse and inclusive community at UW. Good work, Emma!
Alexis Glaudin and Cecily Rosenbaum Win NSF Awards
Apr 3, 2022
Alexis Glaudin has been awarded the Accelerating Quantum-Enabled Technologies NSF Research Traineeship, and Cecily Rosenbaum has been awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Congratulations to Alexis and Cecily!
Research Areas
Physical Chemistry
Photophysics and Electrochemistry
Operando Spectroscopy
Solar Energy and Energy Storage
Solid State Devices
Organic and Hybrid Materials
Advanced Materials Chemistry