个人简介

2012–present Professor of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University 2007–2012 Associate Professor of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University 2009–present Associate Director, Center for Nucleic Acids Science and Technology, Carnegie Mellon University 2005–present Research Associate in the Section of Minerals, Carnegie Museum of Natural History 2001–2007 Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University 1999–2001 Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University 1998 Ph.D. Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University

研究领域

Bioinorganic/Biophysical/Materials & Nanoscience

Hybrid inorganic-nucleic acid structures for nanotechonogy and biological applications Our research is aimed at the use of molecular recognition properties of nucleic acids and transition metal ions to create nanostructures. We have shown that peptide nucleic acids can be used as scaffold for the rational organization of metal ions. Substitution of nucleobases with ligands affords PNA duplexes with affinity for metal ions at predefined positions. The properties of metal-containing duplexes depend on the interplay between interactions specific to the nucleic acid and to the metal ions, e.g. hydrogen bonding and metal coordination. Our results open opportunities for using metal-containing duplexes in biological and nanotechnological applications. Polynuclear complexes with spin transitions for information storage applications Materials that are bistable, i.e. which can exist in two different states under similar conditions, can be used in the construction of information storage devices. Molecules that have a demonstrated ability to exist in two different states, namely states with a different spin are Fe(II) coordination complexes. Depending on the strength of the ligand field of the Fe(II) ions in specific coordination complexes, it is possible that the Fe(II) sites undergo a spin transition between low spin (S = 0) and high spin (S = 2) states. In solid state, intermolecular interactions between the complexes influence the abruptness of the spin transition and can lead to hysteresis, an essential condition for bistability. We study Fe-containing polynuclear complexes that undergo spin transitions because the mechanical and/or exchange interactions between the metal ions in these complexes are easier to characterize than intermolecular interactions and can provide insight in how to rationally design molecule-based, bistable materials. Research in the Achim group is in the field of inorganic chemistry. Our efforts are directed toward obtaining novel supramolecular structures containing transition metal ions. These structures offer the opportunity to employ the rich aspects of electronic structure and physico-chemical properties normally displayed by transition metal ions to achieve novel electric, magnetic, and chemical properties for the supramolecular assemblies. The design of our synthetic molecules is inspired from biological structures and potential applications of these molecules are in molecular electronics and nanotechnology.

近期论文

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"The capture of low-energy electrons by PNA versus DNA" Markus, T.Z. de Leon, A.R., Reid, D., Achim, Naaman, R., 2013, J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 4, 3298–3302, DOI: 10.1021/jz401529v. "Metal Complexes as Alternative Base Pairs or Triplets in Natural and Synthetic Nucleic Acid Structures" DeLeon, A., Kong, J., Achim, C., in "Metallofoldamers: Supramolecular Architectures from Helicates to Biomimetics" G. Maayan, M Albrecht (Eds.), Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2013, 333-377. "Charge Transfer Induced Spin Transitions", Shatruk. M. Achim. C., Dunbar, K., in "Spin-Crossover Materials: Properties and Applications", 2013, Eds. M.A. Halcrow, John Wiley & Sons, Oxford, UK, 171-202, ISBN: 978-1-1199-9867-9. "The Single Molecule Conductance and Electrochemical Electron Transfer Rate Are Related by a Power Law" Wierzbinski, E., Venkatramani, R., Davis, K.L., Bezer, S., Kong, J., Xing, Y., Borguet, E., Achim, C., Beratan, D.N., Waldeck, D.H., 2013, ACSNano, 7, 5391-5401, DOI: 10.1021/nn401321k. "Binding of Eu3+ to HOPO-Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids" De Leon, A.R., Olatunde, A., Morrow, J., Achim, C., 2012, Inorg. Chem. 51, 12597-12599, DOI: 10.1021/ic301790v. "Heteroleptic Fe(II) Complexes of 2,2'-Biimidazole and Its Alkylated Derivatives: Spin-Crossover and Photomagnetic Behavior", Phan,H., Chakraborty,P., Chen, M., Calm, Y.M., Kovnir, K., Keniley, Jr., L.K., Hoyt, J., Knowles, E.S., Besnard, C., Meisel, M.W., Hauser, A., Achim, C., Shatruk, M. 2012 Chem- A Eur. J., 18, 15805. "Influence of the Backbone on Charge Transfer in Peptide Nucleic Acid Duplexes" Wierzbinski, E.; De Leon, A.; Yin, X., Balaeff, A., Davis, K. L., Rappiredy, S.; Keinan, S.; Venkatramani, R.; Beratan, D.N.; Ly, D.H.; Achim, C., Waldeck, D.H., 2012, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 134, 9335–9342. "Influence of Incorporation of Zinc(II) to Bipyridine-Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids on their Charge Transfer Properties" Wierzbinski, E.; De Leon, A.; Davis, K.L., Bezer, S., Wolak, M.A.; R. Achim, C., Waldeck, D.H., 2012, Langmuir, 28, 1971–1981. "Coordination-Driven Inversion of Handedness in Ligand-Modified PNA", Bezer, S. Rappiredy, S.; Skorik, Y.A.; Ly, D.H.; Achim, C., 2011 Inorg. Chem., 50, 11929-11937. Electronic Structure of Self-Assembled Peptide Nucleic Acid Thin Films Wolak, M.A., Balaeff, A., Gutmann, S. Helmrich, H.J., Vosloo, R., Beerbom, M.M., Wierzbinski, E., Waldeck, D.H., Bezer, S., Achim, C., Beratan, D. N., Schlaf, R. 2011, J. Phys. Chem. C., 115, 17123–17135. Metal Binding to Ligand-Containing PNA. Ma, Z., Skorik, Y.A., Achim, C., 2011, Inorg. Chem., 50, 6083–6092. Evidence for a Near-Resonant Charge Transfer Mechanism for Double-Stranded Peptide Nucleic Acid. Venkatramani, R. Davis, K.L., Wierzbinski, E., Bezer, S., Balaeff, A., Keinan, S., Paul, A., Kocsis, L., Beratan, D.N., Achim, C., Waldeck, D.H., 2011, J. Am. Chem. Soc, 133, 62–72. The Crystal Structure of Non-Modified and Bipyridine-Modified PNA Duplexes. Yeh, J.I.; Pohl, E.; Truan, D.; He, W.; Sheldrick, G.M.; Du, S.; Achim, C., 2010, Chemistry —A Eur. J., 16, 11867-11875. The Structure of a γ-Modified Peptide Nucleic Acid Duplex . He, W.; Crawford, M.J.; Madrid, M.; Gil, R.R.; Ly, D.H.; Achim, C., 2010, Molecular Biosystems, in print. An Unprecedented Charge Transfer Induced Spin Transition in a Fe-Os Cluster. Hilfiger, M.G., Chen, M., Brinzari, T.V., Nocera, T.M., Shatruk, M.; Petasis, D.; Musfeldt, J.L.; Achim, C., Dunbar, K.R. 2010, Angew. Chem., Intl. Ed., Hot Article, 49, 1410-3. The Effect of Metal Coordination on Ligand-Modified PNA Duplexes. Achim, C.; Ma, Z., Polymer Preprints, 2009. Distance Dependence of the Charge Transfer Rate for Peptide Nucleic Acid Monolayers. Paul, A.; Watson, R. M.; Wierzbinski, E.; Davis, K.L.; Sha, A.; Achim, C.; Waldeck, D.H., J. Phys. Chem. B, 2009, ASAP. Hybrid Inorganic — Peptide Nucleic Acid Molecules. Achim, C., Rev. Roum. Chim. 2009, in press. Role of Nucleobase Energetics in Single Stranded Peptide Nucleic Acid Charge Transfer. Paul, A.; Bezer, S.; Venkatramani, R.; Kocsis, L.; Wierzbinski, E.; Balaeff, A.; Keinan, S.; Beratan, D.N.; Achim, C.; Waldeck, D.H., J. Am. Chem. Soc, 2009, 131, 6498-6507. Peptide Nucleic Acids. Achim, C.; Armitage, B. A.; Ly, D. H.; Schneider, J. W. in Wiley Encyclopedia of Chemical Biology, Ed. Begley, Tadhg P 2009, 3, 588-597,Wiley: Hoboken, NJ.