The Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry (MSN) program in the Division of Chemistry supports this project which provides funds for the attendance and research presentations of assistant professors from U.S. universities at the 3rd International Symposium on Monolayer-Protected Clusters (ISMPC13) to be held from July 31 to August 3, 2013 at Pingree Park Conference Center, Colorado. The conference features a mixture of seminars and poster sessions related to the field of monlayer protected clusters. Monolayer protected cluster studies are unique within the nanochemistry field, because they are predominantly sub-nanometer in diameter, often can be synthesized mondisperse, and in an increasing number of cases can be crystallographically characterized. There is a great deal of potential for these studies to provide important fundamental chemical knowledge about nanoparticle chemistry, which underpins important new technologies and economically important industries.
The conference promises to stimulate discussions on the current challenges and barriers in the topic areas. In terms of broader impacts, the participants in ISMPC13 are diverse with respect to country of origin, gender, academic level, and area of expertise. The interactions between scientists of diverse backgrounds catalyze new (inter)national collaborations which expose student co-workers to different cultures and scientific viewpoints. For the U.S. assistant professors for whom funding is requested, this is an opportunity to present their research to leading experts in the field. Interactions between senior and junior faculty members lead to the establishment of informal mentoring relationships that impact the future development of research in nanochemistry.
Funding for the International Symposium on Monolayer Protected Clusters 2013 was used to support untenured professors at American universities so that they could travel to Colorado to speak about their research in front of an international community. This level of international exposure is a vital part of the professional development of these young faculty as both researchers and educators. The subject of the meeting was molecular nanoparticles, which is a new class of nanoparticles that are fundmentally different when compared to conventional nanoparticles because they are molecules, with precisely defined size, shape, and properties. It is hoped that a better understanding of these new types of molecules will lead to new and better applications for nanoparticles in a wide range of fields. For example, therapeutic applications of nanoparticles are problematic due to the variations of nanoparticle sizes and shapes in each batch. The fates of molecular therapeutics in living organisms should be easier to understand, predict, and control, and therefore should make safer products. Further, the effectiveness of metal nanoparticle catalysts is not easily predicted based on size. Studying catalysts that have molecular definition could provide valuable insights into catalyst function and design for industrially important applications, including energy conversion. This meeting also provided many young researchers with an opportunity to learn the challenges of the field, to solve problems via conferring and collaborating with other researchers, and to develop their professional networks. These activities are important for the career development of young scientists, in order to help them become effective scientists and make valuable contributions to society. More information about this meeting can be found on this web site: http://sites.chem.colostate.edu/ackersonlab/ISMPC13/ISMPC13.html
