Thursday, January 23, 2025 2:30pm to 3:30pm
About this Event
3415 Colorado Avenue, Boulder, CO 80309
https://www.colorado.edu/chbe/news/chemical-and-biological-engineering-seminar-seriesSpeaker: Tracy H. Schloemer. Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University
Seminar: Harnessing Photons for Controlling Soft Matter with Upconversion
Host: Professor Jen Cha
Seminar Abstract
Two-photon absorption (2PA) has revolutionized nanoscale additive manufacturing by enabling precise volumetric patterning throughout a sample of photocurable resin. Still, high input power requirements limit print speed and volume. Here, I will discuss a solution to this problem with another nonlinear process: triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion (UC). By encapsulating an UC solution containing a sensitizer and emitter within a silica shell, photopolymerization occurs deep within a vat of 3D printing resin at power densities multiple orders of magnitude lower than power densities required for 2PA-based 3D printing. Controlling the silica shell growth around the UC solution to form nanocapsules is critical. The shell structure directly impacts the magnitude of accessible upconverted light output. Additionally, flexibility in UC material selection enables either single-point or parallel printing schemes, improving print speed and materials circularity. Taken together, using UC nanocapsules, high-energy photons are generated and patterned throughout the material volume for use in volumetric 3D printing. Looking forward, I will share my nanomaterial engineering vision to achieve precise photon delivery with enhanced performance across applications ranging from advanced manufacturing to smart materials.
Biosketch
Tracy H. Schloemer is currently an Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University in the Department of Electrical Engineering, advised by Prof. Dan Congreve. She earned her B.S. in Chemistry and M.A. in Educational Studies from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. After, she taught high school chemistry in Denver, Colorado, focusing on active learning pedagogies like project-based learning so her students could “do science, not just learn about science.” She was so effective at persuading her students to pursue STEM careers that she accidentally convinced herself to do the same. She later earned her Ph.D. in Applied Chemistry from the Colorado School of Mines in 2019, where she focused on organic semiconductor design for improved operational durability of perovskite solar cells under Prof. Alan Sellinger and in collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Lab. Her research has been published in numerous interdisciplinary journals and featured in prominent media outlets, such as the BBC Podcast “The Naked Scientist.” Her work has also been recognized through several awards, including a fellowship from the Knowles Teaching Initiative, selection for the CAS Future Leaders Program, a fellowship from the Arnold O. Beckman Foundation, and the ACS Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering (PMSE) 2024 Future Faculty Award.
User Activity
No recent activity