Grace Han

Degrees
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ph.D.Expertise
Organic materials chemistry; photo-switching chemistry; solar energy conversion and storageProfile
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 soft materials 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 biological systems via their structural 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
The Landsman Career Development Chair in the Sciences (2020)
Provost Research Award (2019)
Scholarship
G. G. D. Han and Y. Shi. Direct Sunlight-Activated Phase Change Materials for Controlled Heat Storage and Triggered Release. Patent US Provisional 63/144,737.
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 PCT/US2021/016381.
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.
E. S. Kengmana, J. K. Lee, X. Li, J. H. Warner, and G. G. D. Han*. "Self-Assembly of Bowlic Supramolecules on Graphene Imaged at the Individual Molecular Level using Heavy Atom Tagging." Small 16. (2020): 2002860.
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 and G. G. D. Han*. "Toward Controlled Thermal Energy Storage and Release in Organic Phase Change Materials." Joule (Cell Press) 4. (2020): 1621-1625.
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.
M. A. Gerkman, R. Gibson, J. Calbo, Y. Shi, M. J. Fuchter*, G. G. D. Han*. "Arylazopyrazoles for Long-Term Thermal Energy Storage and Optically-Triggered Heat Release below 0 °C." Journal of the American Chemical Society 142. (2020): 8688-8695.
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 32. (2020): 2541-2551.
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.