个人简介

Robert Baker received a BS degree from Brigham Young University in 2007 and a MS degree from Brigham Young University in 2008. He received his PhD from Gabor Somorjai at the University of California, Berkeley in 2012 where his dissertation research focused on electronic activation of surface chemical reactions at the metal-support interface. From 2012 to 2014 he performed postdoctoral research with Stephen Leone studying ultrafast electron dynamics and interfacial charge transfer in metal oxides using transient x-ray absorption spectroscopy. He has been an assistant professor at The Ohio State University since July 2014.

研究领域

Inorganic/Materials/Physical/Analytical

In my research, we use nanomaterials and solid-state electronic devices for chemical energy conversion and highly selective catalysis. A major unexplored frontier of materials chemistry is the important role of surfaces and interfaces in nano-scale systems. Consequently, there is a pressing need to study the properties of surfaces and interfaces that control charge transfer in actual energy conversion systems. These systems include solar cells, fuel cells, batteries, photocatalysts, and electrocatalysts. Because charge transfer across the interface between two materials dominates the energy conversion efficiency of all these devices, finding creative experimental ways to visualize interfacial charge transfer will teach us how to design new materials and catalysts for high efficiency applications. Research opportunities in my group range from using a state-of-the-art x-ray laser to follow interfacial charge transfer dynamics with femtosecond time resolution to nano-fabrication of actual catalytic devices for driving reactive ions on a surface in order to control a chemical reaction pathway. Combining these cutting-edge measurements of working systems with the design and testing of completely new devices allows each student to contribute toward exciting new applications in energy conversion and catalysis.

近期论文

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L. R. Baker, C. M. Jiang, S. T. Kelly, J. M. Lucas, J. Vura-Weis, M. K. Gilles, A. P. Alivisatos, and S. R. Leone, "Charge Carrier Dynamics of Photoexcited Co3O4 in Methanol: Extending High Harmonic Transient Absorption Spectroscopy to Liquid Environments," Nano Letters, 2014, 14, 5883-5890. (Highlighted by IOP Institute of Physics in NanotechWeb) C. M. Jiang, L. R. Baker, J. M. Lucas, J. Vura-Weis, A. P. Alivisatos, and S. R. Leone, "Characterization of Photo-Induced Charge Transfer and Hot Carrier Relaxation Pathways in Spinel Cobalt Oxide (Co3O4)," Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2014, 118, 22774–22784. G. Kennedy, L. R. Baker, and G. A. Somorjai, "Selective Amplification of C=O Bond Hydrogenation on Pt by an Active TiO2 Support: Catalytic Reaction and Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy Studies of Crotonaldehyde Hydrogenation," Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2014, 53, 3405–3408. F. Shi, L. R. Baker, A. Hervier, G. A. Somorjai, and K. Komvopoulos, "Tuning the Electronic Structure of Titanium Oxide Support to Enhance the Electrochemical Activity of Platinum Nanoparticles," Nano Letters, 2013, 13, 4469–4474. K. An, N. Musselwhite, G. Kennedy, V. Pushkarev, L. R. Baker, and G. A. Somorjai, "Preparation of Mesoporous Oxides and Their Support Effects on Pt Nanoparticle Catalysis in Catalytic Hydrogenation of Furfural," Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2013, 392, 122–128. L. R. Baker, G. Kennedy, J. M. Krier, M. Van Spronsen, R. M. Onorato, and G. A. Somorjai, "The Role of an Organic Cap in Nanoparticle Catalysis: Reversible Restructuring of Carbonaceous Material Controls Catalytic Activity of Platinum Nanoparticles for Ethylene Hydrogenation and Methanol Oxidation," Catalysis Letters, 2012, 142, 1286–1294. L. R. Baker, G. Kennedy, M. Van Spronsen, A. Hervier, X. Cai, S. Chen, L. Wang, and G. A. Somorjai, "Furfuraldehyde Hydrogenation on Titanium Oxide-Supported Platinum Nanoparticles Studied by Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy: Acid–Base Catalysis Explains the Molecular Origin of Strong Metal–Support Interactions," Journal of American Chemical Society, 2012, 134, 14208–14216. J. M. Krier, W. Michalak, L. R. Baker, K. An, K. Komvopooulos, and G. A. Somorjai, "Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy of Colloidal Platinum Nanoparticle Catalysts: Disordering versus Removal of Organic Capping," Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2012, 116, 17540–17546. L. R. Baker, A. Hervier, G. Kennedy, and G. A. Somorjai, "Solid-State Charge-Based Device for Control of Catalytic Carbon Monoxide Oxidation on Platinum Nanofilms Using External Bias and Light," Nano Letters, 2012, 12, 2554–2558. A. Hervier, L. R. Baker, H. Seo, K. Komvopoulos, and G. A. Somorjai, "Titanium Oxide/Platinum Catalysis: Charge Transfer from Titanium Oxide Support Controls Activity and Selectivity in Methanol Oxidation on Platinum," Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2011, 115, 22960–22964. L. R. Baker, A. Hervier, H. Seo, G. Kennedy, K. Komvopoulos, and G. A. Somorjai, "Highly n-Type Titanium Oxide as an Electronically Active Support for Platinum in the Catalytic Oxidation of Carbon Monoxide," Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2011, 115, 16006–16011. H. Seo, L. R. Baker, A. Hervier, J. Kim, J. L. Whitten, and G. A. Somorjai, "Generation of Highly n-Type Titanium Oxide Using Plasma Fluorine Insertion," Nano Letters 2011, 11, 751–756.