boyes research group - members
Graduate Students
Melissa kern
Education:
Ph.D. Candidate, Applied Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines (Golden, CO) Advisor: Dr. Stephen Boyes
B.Sc, Chemistry and B.Sc, Textile Chemistry, North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC), 2003
Current Research Projects:
In general I am interested in designing materials for organic/hybrid photovoltaics. My background is in polymer chemistry, so my primary focus is on making block copolymers with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), a common conducting polymer. By controlling the structure and relative ratios of the block copolymer, various self-assembled film architectures can be obtained. P3HT is synthesized using McCulloughs Grignard metathesis polymerization technique. Then end group of the P3HT can be functionalized to make a macro-RAFT agent, which can be used to make a variety of block copolymers. Furthermore, the trithiocarbonate function group from the RAFT agent is maintained as the end group of the block copolymer allowing for facile attachment to a variety of surfaces. Of interest is the attachment of P3HT homopolymers and copolymers to the surface of semiconducting nanoparticles such as cadmium selenide (CdSe). The polymer coated nanoparticles are more miscible in polymer films and can be incorporated into block copolymer films.
Contact Details:
Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry
Colorado School of Mines
1012 14th Street
Golden, CO 80401
E-mail: mkern@mymail.mines.edu
R.P. Oates III
Education:
Ph.D. Candidate, Applied Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines (Golden, CO) Advisor: Dr. Stephen Boyes
M.Sc. Chemistry, Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, NC), 2008 - Research Title: Photoactivation of Glycosyl Acceptors, Advisor: Dr. Paul Jones. GPA: 3.65/4.0
B.Sc, Chemistry (Biology minor), Appalachian State University (Boone, NC), 2006 - Research Title: Novel Compounds by Inverse Electron Demand Hetero Diels-Alder Reactions , Advisor: Dr. Nicole Bennett. GPA: 3.22/4.0
Current Research Projects:
Design of Novel Fluorophores for Molecular Imaging with Nanoparticles
One of the primary factors, according to the American Cancer Society, in the prevention of cancer is early detection. Cancers that have the potential to be prevented through accurate screening account for at least half of all new cases and roughly 80% of all cancers are diagnosed in people that are 55 years or older. In order to properly diagnose pre-cancerous tissues in an aging population, there will be increased need in the near future for safe and accurate diagnostic tools at the medical communitys disposal. I believe that the development of more advanced imaging techniques can meet this challenge, while improving patient care and quality of life. I would like to address this challenge by devoting my knowledge of synthetic chemistry, photophysical processes, and biology towards a career that will provide for innovative technologies in molecular imaging. I believe that this can be accomplished by initially focusing on synthetic derivatives of biocompatible fluorophores and effectively incorporating them into nanoparticles. Their eventual application will be towards the molecular imaging of biochemical events associated with tumors, expanding the capacity for understanding how cancer arises and a patients subsequent treatment.
Contact Details:
Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry
Colorado School of Mines
1012 14th Street
Golden, CO 80401
E-mail: roates@mymail.mines.edu
Patrizia smith
Education:
Ph.D. Candidate, Applied Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines (Golden, CO) Advisor: Dr. Stephen Boyes
Ph.D. Candidate, Applied Chemistry, University at Buffalo (Buffalo, NY), Research Project: Synthesis of organic nanotubes for drug delivery applications, Advisor: Dr. Javid Rzayev, Transfer Date: August 2009. GPA: 3.62/4.0
B.Sc, Chemistry (cum laude), University at Buffalo (Buffalo, NY), 2008 GPA: 3.32/4.0
Current Research Projects:
Current research objectives include a) the synthesis and characterization of biocompatible copolymers via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and b) post-polymerization modification of RAFT biocopolymers using tumor targeting ligands and fluorescence agents as well as chemotherapeutic drugs. Other work is based on the synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and the modification of AuNPs with tailored biocopolymers to form multifunctional nanomedical devices for targeted diagnostics and targeted therapy.
Contact Details:
Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry
Colorado School of Mines
1012 14th Street
Golden, CO 80401
E-mail: pasmith@mymail.mines.edu
CHIXIA TIAN
Education:
Ph.D. Candidate, Applied Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines (Golden, CO) Advisor: Dr. Stephen Boyes
B.Sc, Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology (Beijing, China), 2009 - Research Project: Synthesis and characterization of poly(methyl acrylate) nanoparticles by photo-initiation, Advisor: Dr. Lianying Liu. GPA: 3.3/4.0
Current Research Projects:
My current research focuses on the synthesis, characterization and modification of gold nanorods for multimodal imaging. Gold nanorods have been explored for biological and medical use as sensing, optical contrast agents for imaging, drug delivery and photothermal therapy of cancer cells. They are attractive candidates for biomedical imaging because their optical response can be tuned to near infrared wavelengths, which penetrate deep into cells and tissue; furthermore, they do not photobleach or blink, and are chemically inert and biologically compatible. Our goal is to produce gold nanorod structures that are surface modified using RAFT polymers to prepare a nanomedicine capable of target therapy and multimodal imaging using MRI, CT, and optical imaging techniques.
Contact Details:
Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry
Colorado School of Mines
1012 14th Street
Golden, CO 80401
E-mail: ctian@mymail.mines.edu
Liping zhu
Education:
Ph.D. Candidate, Applied Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines (Golden, CO) Advisor: Dr. Stephen Boyes
M.S., Materials Processing and Engineering, Donghua University (Shanghai, China), 2009 - Research Title: Fabrication of functional biopolymer microspheres using the microfluidic devices, Advisor: Dr. Hongzhi Wang,
B.Sc, Polymer Materials and Engineering, Donghua University (Shanghai, China), 2003 - Research Title: Radical Polymerization of Acrylonitrile in Ionic Liquids, Advisor: Dr. Huaping Wang.
Current Research Projects:
I am interested in design and synthesis of novel biopolymers, and functionalization of nanoparticles using polymers. Currently, I am working on a project to develop a smart contrast agent for magnetic resonace imaging (MRI). The most widely used Gd-based contrast agents will be modified with the well-defined pH-responsive polymers. Because the pH-responsive polymers will undergo a phase transition in differnet pH, the polymer-modified gadolinium nanoparticles will be able to change relaxitivity in MRI with pH changing. Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, which allows to control molecular weight and have functional end groups, will be employed to synthesize homopolymers and copolymers. This smart contrast agent has the potential to make the diagnose and therapy of cancer more efficient and timely.
Contact Details:
Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry
Colorado School of Mines
1012 14th Street
Golden, CO 80401
E-mail: lzhu@mymail.mines.edu
Undergraduate Students
KIMBERLY ANDERSON - Polymer Modified Gold Nanoparticles for the Targeted Imaging of Pulmonary Hypertension. Colorado School of Mines senior research student. Joined the Boyes Research Group in August 2011.
MALLORY FAUST - Self-assembly of Polymer Modified Nanoparticles for Application in Hybrid Solar Cells. Colorado School of Mines senior research student. Joined the Boyes Research Group in August 2011.
MATTHEW HARTLE - Self-assembly of Triblock Copolymers of P3HT Prepared by RAFT Polymerization. Colorado School of Mines senior research student. Joined the Boyes Research Group in August 2011.
Alumni
Graduate students |
Undergraduate Students |
| Willa Hatakeyama, MS | George Chang - UMass, Amherst |
| Dr. Jay Hotchkiss, PhD | Brent Hammer - UMass, Amherst |
| Dr. Misty Rowe, PhD | Liz Hunter - Colorado School of Mines |
| Daniel Mieritz - Arizona State University | |
| Theresa Le - Colorado School of Mines | |
| Ben Mohr - UMass, Amherst | |
| Mikaela Murphy - Colorado School of Mines | |
| Ann Newman - Colorado School of Mines | |
| Brady Pitts (USM) - | |
| Talia Sanchez - CU Boulder | |
| Alex Shilling - | |
| Whitney Svoboda - | |
| Neil Treat (USM) - UC Santa Barbara | |
| Curtis Wilson - Colorado School of Mines | |
| James Whittemore (USM) - USM | |
| Michael Wray - |