DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Research Statement

The Hunter Group uses inorganic chemistry to tackle problems related to sustainability and catalysis. We make molecules and materials designed to generate fuels and materials using less energy than traditional processes. Our goal is to develop renewable solutions to global problems such as carbon dioxide reduction, ammonia synthesis, and the splitting of seawater into hydrogen and oxygen. To accomplish this, we employ cutting-edge synthetic techniques, in-situ spectroscopy, and electrochemistry.

 

Selected Publications

“Forming O-O bonds.” Daniel A. Kurtz, Bryan M. Hunter, Joule, 2022, 6, 2272.

“Tuning Cobalt(II) Phosphine Complexes to be Axially Ambivalent.” Jack Thomas-Colwell, Arvin Sookezian, Daniel A. Kurtz, Jeremy Kallick, Lawrence M. Henling, Troy A. Stich, Michael G. Hill, Bryan M. Hunter, Inorganic Chemistry, 2022, 61, 12625.

“A Cobalt Phosphine Complex in Five Oxidation States.” Daniel A. Kurtz, Jibo Zhang, Jeremy Kallick, Michael G. Hill, Bryan M. Hunter, 2021, 60, 17445.
Mechanism of Nickel-Iron Water Oxidation Electrocatalysts.” Jibo Zhang, Jay R. Winkler, Harry B. Gray, Bryan M. Hunter, 2021, 35, 19164.

“Excitation-Wavelength-Dependent Photophysics of d8d8 Di-isocyanide Complexes.” Martin Pižl, Bryan M. Hunter, Igor V. Sazanovich, Michael Towrie, Harry B. Gray, Stanislav Zàliš, Antonin Vlček, Inorganic Chemistry, 2021, 61, 2745.

“The Nature of the Mn(III) Color Centers in Elbaite Tourmalines.” Daniel A. Kurtz, George R. Rossman, Bryan M. Hunter, Inorganic Chemistry, 2020, 59, 9618.

“EPR Spectroscopy of Iron- and Nickel-Doped [ZnAl]-Layered Double Hydroxides: Modeling Active Sites in Heterogeneous Water Oxidation Catalysts.” Richard I. Sayler, Bryan M. Hunter, Wen Fu, Harry B. Gray, R. David Britt, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2020, 142, 1838.

“Iron is the Active Site in Nickel/Iron Water Oxidation Electrocatalysts.” Bryan M. Hunter, Jay R. Winkler, Harry B. Gray, Molecules, 2018, 23, 903.

“Trapping an Iron(VI) Water Splitting Intermediate in Nonaqueous Media.” Bryan M. Hunter, Niklas B. Thompson, Astrid M. Müller, George R. Rossman, Michael G. Hill, Jay R. Winkler, Harry B. Gray, Joule, 2018, 2, 747.

“Ultrafast Wiggling and Jiggling: Ir2(1,8-diisocyanomenthane)42+.” Martin Pižl, Bryan M. Hunter, Gregory M. Greetham, Michael Towrie, Stanislav Záliš, Harry B. Gray, Antonín Vlček, Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 2017, 121, 9275.

“Electronic Structures of Reduced and Superreduced Ir2(1,8-diisocyanomenthane)4n+ Complexes.” Stanislav Záliš, Bryan M. Hunter, Harry B. Gray, Antonín Vlček, Inorganic Chemistry, 2017, 56, 2874.

“Earth-Abundant Heterogeneous Water Oxidation Catalysts.” Bryan M. Hunter, Harry B. Gray, Astrid M. Müller, Chemical Reviews, 2016, 116, 14120.

“Reduced and Superreduced Diplatinum Complexes.” Tania V. Darnton, Bryan M. Hunter, Michael G. Hill, Stanislav Záliš, Antonín Vlček Jr., Harry B. Gray, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2016, 138, 5699.

“Controlled-Potential Electromechanical Reshaping of Cartilage.” Bryan M. Hunter, Jeremy Kallick, Jessica Kissel, Maya Herzig, Cyrus Manuel, Dmitri Protsenko, Brian J. F. Wong, Michael G. Hill, Angewandte Chemie, 2016, 128, 5587. * Chosen by the Editors as a “hot paper” for its importance in a rapidly evolving field of high current interest.

“Effect of interlayer anions on [NiFe]-LDH nanosheet water oxidation activity.” Bryan M. Hunter, Wolfgang Hieringer, Jay R. Winkler, Harry B. Gray, Astrid M. Müller, Energy & Environmental Science, 2016, 9, 1734.

“Highly Active Mixed-Metal Nanosheet Water Oxidation Catalysts Made by Pulsed-Laser Ablation in Liquids.” Bryan M. Hunter, James D. Blakemore, Mark Deimund, Harry B. Gray, Jay R. Winkler, Astrid M. Müller, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2014, 136, 13118.

“M-M Bond-Stretching Energy Landscapes for M2(dimen)42+ (M = Rh, Ir; dimen = 1,8-Diisocyanomenthane) Complexes.” Bryan M. Hunter, Randy M. Villahermosa, Christopher L. Exstrom, Michael G. Hill, Kent R. Mann, Harry B. Gray, Inorganic Chemistry, 2012, 51, 6898.

Selected Honors/Awards

• 2019 Nobel Laureate Signature Award (ACS)
• 2018 ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry Young Investigator Award
• 2017 2017 Dow Sustainability Innovation Challenge Award (Caltech)
• 2017 Herbert Newby McCoy Award for outstanding contributions to the science of chemistry (Caltech)
• 2017 Demetriades-Tsafka-Kokkalis Prize in Environmentally Benign Renewable Energy Sources (Caltech)
• 2015 Resnick Sustainability Institute Fellowship (2 years)
• 2011 NSF Graduate Fellowship (3 years)
• 2009 Inducted into Kappa Delta Pi, Honor Society in Education
• 2008 Wohlenberg Prize (Berkeley College, Yale University)
• 2008 Master’s Prize (Berkeley College, Yale University)
• 2004 United States Presidential Scholar, California
• 2004 National Merit Scholar