Jennifer S. Shumaker-Parry

ANALYTICAL, MATERIALS & PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY 

Professor

B.S. University of South Dakota, 1995
Ph.D. University of Washington, 2002
NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences Distinguished International Postdoctoral Research Fellow (MPS-DRF), Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany, 2003-2004

Phone: (801) 585-1434
Office: 2424 TBBC
Email: shumaker-parry@chem.utah.edu
Research Group Website

Activities

Jennifer Shumaker-Parry is a member of: Interfacial and Bioanalytical Chemistry (IBAC) and the Nano Institute of Utah.

Awards

• R.W. Parry Teaching Award, 2016
• NSF CAREER Award, 2009
• ACS PROGRESS/Dreyfus Lectureship, 2008
• ADVANCE Young Scientist Lecturer, University of Arizona, 2008
• NSF MPS Distinguished International Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, 2003
• National Science Foundation Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) Fellowship, 2000
• Phi Beta Kappa, 1994

Research Interests

Overview

We investigate the optical, catalytic, and surface chemistry properties of nanomaterials for a wide range of applications. The fundamental understanding gained from our research impacts many areas of science and engineering, include micro- and nano-scale device fabrication, nano-scale imaging, nanolithography, catalysis, light-matter interactions, and sensor development.

The broad nature of the multi-disciplinary research requires methods and tools from analytical chemistry, surface chemistry, biochemistry, materials science, nano\microfabrication, optics, spectroscopy, and microscopy. We regular interface with scientists and engineers outside of the Chemistry Department through collaborations and the use of scientific instruments.

Designer plasmonic systems with tunable optical properties

We are developing novel, broadly-applicable methods to tailor and exploit the optical properties of metal structures and nanoparticles in order to develop tunable sensing and spectroscopy platforms. The designer plasmon-active systems have unique optical properties that may be tailored through control of individual structure fabrication and spatially-controlled surface chemistry. The research approaches focus on the fabrication and optical characterization of well-defined, irregularly-shaped metal structures and the development of spatially-controlled surface functionalization methods to build multi-particle assemblies. The long term goal is to use the fundamental understanding of the correlation of optical properties with metal structure shape and assembly as a basis for tailoring the plasmonic systems for sensing and spectroscopy applications.

Synthesis, interfacial chemistry, and catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles and support materials for heterogenous catalysis

Exploration of different synthetic methods has led to new approaches for nanoparticle stabilization, flexible surface chemistry, and control over assembly and stability in different solvent environments. We have developed synthetic approaches based on novel reducing agents that serve dual roles and provide control of the properties of the materials. The surface chemistry, catalytic activity and optical properties of these materials are being studied. These studies include combining the nanoparticles with silica nanoparticles and synthetic nanodiamond as support materials for heterogeneous catalysis applications. We are studying the functionalization of nanodiamond and silica supports with polymer brushes to control the local environment of nanoparticle and molecular catalysts.

Selected Publications

*Indicates undergraduate co-author

• Parker, D.M.; Lineweaver, A.J.; Quast, A.D.; Zharov, I.; Shumaker-Parry, J.S. “Thiol-terminated Nanodiamond Powders for Support of Gold Nanoparticle Catalysts,” Diamond and Related Materials (2021) 116: 108449.
• Maekawa, H.; Drobnyh, E.; Lancaster, C.A.; Large, N.; Schatz, G.C.; Shumaker-Parry, J.S.; Sukharev, M.; Ge, N.-H., “Wavelength and Polarization Dependence of Second Harmonic Responses from Gold Nanocrescent Arrays,” ACS Photonics (2020) 124: 20424-20435.
• Stevenson, P.R.; Du, M.; Cherqui, C.; Bourgeois, M.R.; Rodriguez, K.; Neff, J.R.; Abreu, E.; *Meiler, I.; Tamma, V.A.; Apkarian, V.A.; Schatz, G.C.; Yuen-Zhou, J.; Shumaker-Parry, J.S., "Active Plasmonics and Active Chiral Plasmonics Through Orientation-Dependent Multipolar Interactions," ACS Nano (2020) 14: 1158-11532.
• Lancaster, C.; *Scholl, W.; *Ticknor, M.; Shumaker-Parry, J.S., “Uniting Top-down and Bottom-up Strategies Using Fabricated Nanostructures as Hosts for Synthesis of Nanomites,” J. Phys. Chem. C (2020) 124:6822-6829.
• Bornstein, M.F.; Parker, D.M.; Quast, A.D.; Shumaker-Parry, J.S.; Zharov, I., “Reaction Conditions-Dependent Formation of Catalytically Active Palladium Complexes or Palladium Nanoparticles on a Silica Support,” ChemCatChem, (2019) 11:4360-4367.
• Swartz, M.M.; Rodriguez, M.; Cooper, C.T.; Blair, S.; Shumaker-Parry, J.S., “Aluminum Nanocrescent Plasmonic Antennas Fabricated by Copper Mask Nanosphere Template Lithography,” J. Phys. Chem. C (2016) 120:20597-20603. Invited contribution for the “Richard P. Van Duyne Fetschrift” special issue.
• Quast, A.; Bornstein, M.; *Greydanus, B.J.; Zharov, I.; Shumaker-Parry, J.S., “Robust Polymer-coated Diamond Supports for Noble Metal Nanoparticle Catalysts,” ACS Catalysis (2016) 6:4729-4738.
• Park, J.-W.; Shumaker-Parry, J.S., “Structural Study of Citrate Layers on Gold Nanoparticles: Role of Intermolecular Interactions in Stabilizing Particles,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2014) 136:1907-1921.