Grace Han

Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Departments/Programs

Chemistry

Degrees

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ph.D.

Expertise

Organic materials chemistry; photo-switching chemistry; solar energy conversion and storage

Profile

Research in our group focuses on developing a wide range of versatile and unique optically controlled molecular switches for energy conversion/storage and optoelectronic applications. Photo-switchable molecular systems absorb light and rapidly respond via structural change that provides control over a broad array of properties in diverse organic and inorganic systems. These reversible switches allow for the repeatable operation of energy harvesting schemes on a large scale as well as the discrete on/off modulation of nanoscale devices via their structural and electrical changes at the molecular level.

Courses Taught

CHEM	91g	Introduction to Research Practice
CHEM	121a	Inorganic Chemistry I, Lectures
CHEM	161a	Polymer and Inorganic Materials Chemistry
CHEM	300c	Chemistry Colloquium

Awards and Honors

Provost Research Award (2019)

Scholarship

A. Gonzalez, E. S. Kengmana, M. V. Fonseca, and G. G. D. Han*. "Solid-State Photoswitching Molecules: Structural Design for Isomerization in Condensed Phase." Materials Today Advances 6. (2020): 100058.

C.-C. A. Voll, G. Markopoulos, T. C. Wu, M. Welborn, J. U. Engelhart, S. Rochat, G. G. D. Han, G. T. Sazama, T.-A. Lin, T. Van Voorhis, M. A. Baldo, and T. M. Swager. "Lock-and-Key Exciplexes for Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence." Organic Materials 2. (2020): 1-10.

G. G. D. Han, M. J. Fuchter, J. C. Grossman, M. A. Gerkman, and R. Gibson. Arylazopyrazoles and Their Use for Long-Term Thermal Energy Storage. Patent 62/969,634.

M. A. Gerkman, J. K. Lee, X. Li, Q. Zhang, M. Windley, M. V. Fonseca, Y. Lu, J. H. Warner, and G. G. D. Han*. "Direct Imaging of Individual Molecular Binding to Clean Nanopore Edges in 2D Monolayer MoS2." ACS Nano 1. (2020): 3-6.

X. Li, J. K. Lee, Y. Lu, M. A. Gerkman, E. S. Kengmana, M. V. Fonseca, J. H. Warner, and G. G. D. Han*. "Precursor Design for High Density Single Pt Atom Sites on MoS2: Enhanced Stability at Elevated Temperatures and Reduced 3D Clustering." Chemistry of Materials Online. (2020).

G. G. D. Han, M. Gerkman, and Y. Shi. Thermal Storage Materials and Applications Thereof. Patent 62/843,136.

G. G. D. Han. Light-Responsive Temporary Adhesives. Patent 62/843,136.

J. K. Lee, I. Bulut, M. Rickhaus, T. Chen, X. Li, G. G. D. Han, G. A. D. Briggs, H. L. Anderson, J. H. Warner. "Metal Atom Markers for Imaging Epitaxial Molecular Self-Assembly on Graphene by Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy." ACS Nano 13. (2019): 7252-7260.

M. A. Gerkman, S. Sinha, J. H. Warner, and G. G. D. Han*. "Direct Imaging of Photoswitching Molecular Conformations Using Individual Metal Atom Markers." ACS Nano 13. 1 (2019): 87-96.

M. A. Gerkman, S. Yuan, P. Duan, J. Taufan, K. Schmidt-Rohr, and G. G. D. Han*. "Phase Transition Dynamics of Spiropyran Molecular Switches." Chemical Communications 55. (2019): 5813-5816.

S. Fang, Y. Wen, C. S. Allen, C. Ophus, G. G. D. Han, A. I. Kirkland, E. Kaxiras, and J. H. Warner. "Atomic Electrostatic Maps of 1D Channels in 2D Semiconductors using 4D Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy." Nat. Commun. 10. (2019): 1127.

G. G. D. Han, B. Smith, W. Xu, J. H. Warner, and J. C. Grossman. "Nanoporous Silicon-Assisted Patterning of Monolayer MoS2 with Thermally Controlled Porosity: A Scalable Method for Diverse Applications." ACS Appl. Nano Mater. 1. 7 (2018): 3548–3556.

G. G. D. Han, J. H. Deru, E. N. Cho, and J. C. Grossman. "Optically Regulated Thermal Energy Storage in Diverse Organic Phase-Change Materials." Chem. Commun. 54. (2018): 10722–10725.

E. N. Cho, D. Zhitomirsky, G. G. D. Han, Y. Liu, and J. C. Grossman. "Molecularly Engineered Azobenzene Derivatives for High Energy Density Solid-State Solar Thermal Fuels." ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 9. 10 (2017): 8679–8687.

G. G. D. Han, H. Li, and J. C. Grossman. "Optically-Controlled Long-Term Storage and Release of Thermal Energy in Phase-Change Materials." Nat. Commun. 8. (2017): 1446.

G. G. D. Han, K.-H. Tu, F. Niroui, W. Xu, S. Zhou, X. Wang, V. Bulović, C. A. Ross, J. H. Warner, and J. C. Grossman. "Photoluminescent Arrays of Nano-Patterned Monolayer MoS2." Adv. Funct. Mater. 27. (2017): 1703688.

H. Li, S. Wang, H. Sawada, G. G. D. Han, T. Samuels, C. S. Allen, A. I. Kirkland, J. C. Grossman, and J. H. Warner. "Atomic Structure and Dynamics of Single Pt Atom Interactions with Monolayer MoS2." ACS Nano 11. 3 (2017): 3392-3403.

S. Wang, H. Sawada, Q. Chen, G. G. D. Han, C. S. Allen, A. I. Kirkland, and J. H. Warner. "In Situ Atomic-Scale Studies of the Formation of Epitaxial Pt Nanocrystals on Monolayer Molybdenum Disulfide." ACS Nano 11. 9 (2017): 9057-9067.

G. D. Han, A. Maurano, J. G. Weis, V. Bulović, and T. M. Swager. "VOC Enhancement in Polymer Solar Cells with Isobenzofulvene–C60 Adducts." Org. Electron. 31. (2016): 48-55.

G. D. Han, S. S. Park, Y. Liu, D. Zhitomirsky, E. Cho, M. Dincă, and J. C. Grossman. "Photon Energy Storage Materials with High Energy Densities Based on Diacetylene–Azobenzene Derivatives." J. Mater. Chem. A 4. (2016): 16157-16165.

S. Chang, G. D. Han, J. G. Weis, H. Park, O. Hentz, Z. Zhao, T. M. Swager, and S. Gradečak. "Transition Metal-Oxide Free Perovskite Solar Cells Enabled by a New Organic Charge Transport Layer." ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 8. 13 (2016): 8511–8519.