Zink, Jeffrey I.

Inorganic

Biography

Professor Zink has been a Faculty member in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry since 1970. He received his B.S. degree in Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin. He came to UCLA after receiving his PhD degree from the University of Illinois under the direction of Russell S. Drago. He is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and a member of the California Nanosystems Institute. He has been an invited guest professor at the University of Paris VI and at the University of Amsterdam, and serves as an ACS tour speaker. He is an authority on triboluminescence, photochemistry and photophysics of metal-containing molecules, and on nanomachines, and has published almost 400 articles. His current research is focused on fundamental spectroscopic investigation of large metal-containing molecules and on design, operation and biological applications of functional nanomaterials including nanomachines such as valves and impellers.

Research Interests

Compounds for Molecular Motion as a State Variable

Compounds for Molecular Motion as a State Variable

Our spectroscopic research focuses on understanding the properties of metal-containing molecules in excited electronic states. One important area of investigation is the determination of excited state geometries. Upon excitation, transition metal compounds generally undergo large distortions along many normal modes of vibration. Resonance Raman spectra, in conjunction with electronic emission and absorption spectra, Resonance Enhanced Multi Photon Ionization (REMPI) and the time-dependent theory of spectroscopy, are used to calculate the geometries. Multiple coupled excited states and modes create interesting spectroscopic effects and interpretive challenges; wavepacket amplitude transfer between excited states is calculated. The metal compounds are studied in both condensed media, such as single crystals and glasses, and in ultra cold molecular beams.

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Honors & Awards

  • Richard C. Tolman Medal Award, American Chemical Society Southern California
  • National Science Council of Taiwan Visiting Lecturer
  • SUNY Buffalo Foster Chemistry Colloquium Lecturer
  • US Department of Energy Materials Sciences Outstanding Scientific Accomplishment in Metals and Ceramic Sciences
  • University of Amsterdam Invited Visiting Professor
  • University of Oklahoma J. Clarence Karcher Lecturer
  • University of Paris Invited Visiting Professor
  • Dow-Hansen Distinguished Teaching Award
  • John Simon Guggenheim Fellow

Representative Publications

[ Materials and Molecular Machines Publications ]

[ Spectroscopy Publications ]

[ Laser-CVD Publications ]