NEWS

Michael Duncan

Michael DuncanLamar Dodd Award 2011

Michael Duncan, Franklin Professor and Regents Professor of Chemistry, is internationally recognized as a leader in ion and metal cluster spectroscopy. He measures the structures of molecules in their ionized state of “clusters” — aggregated groups of a few molecules caught in the act of condensation, and of nanoparticles — atomic assemblies on the nanometer scale.

He was among the first scientists to combine metal cluster sources with infrared laser spectroscopy, which shows how molecules deform when attached to metals. The fundamental knowledge gained has tremendous practical applications, since molecules binding to metal lie at the heart of many processes in industrial chemistry and in the natural world.

Duncan’s ability to develop new methods, as well as to assimilate recent breakthroughs from other researchers, keeps his lab at the forefront of this exotic area of science. The tools he has provided to the chemical community are quickly being incorporated into experiments around the world. Duncan is a founding scientist in what is sure to be a standard branch of physical chemistry in the years ahead.

Previous Award

Distinguished Research Professor 1995