Profile picture of Carl Brozek

Carl Brozek

Assistant Professor
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Phone: 541-346-0146
Office: LISB 434
Research Interests: Environmental and Sustainable Materials, Porosity, Nanocrystals, Conductivity, Energy Storage, Photoredox, Dynamic Bonding

Education

2010 S.B. University of Chicago (with Prof. Greg Hillhouse)

2015 Ph.D. MIT (with Prof. Mircea Dinca)

2018 Postdoc University of Washington (with Prof. Daniel Gamelin)

Research

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.

 

Honors and Awards

2022 Dream Chemistry Award Winner (1st Prize)

2022 Cottrell Scholar

2022 Chemical Communications (RSC) Emerging Investigator

2020 Journal of Materials Chemistry (RSC) Emerging Investigator

2016 ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry Young Investigator Award

2015 Davison Thesis Prize, MIT

2015 Washington Research Foundation Innovation Postdoctoral Fellow in Clean Energy

2014 School of Science Appreciation Award, MIT

2011-2014 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow

2007-2009 Beckman Scholar Program Fellow