Research with Dr. Darren Achey
Achey Research Group MARM 2019
Poster Presentation
Student researcher Argenis Williams
Pipeting solution
Student Researcher Jenna Kanyak
Aligning HeCd Laser for photoreaction
Student Researchers Ryan Klinikowski and Jenna Kanyak
Collecting and evaluating UV-Vis spectra
Achey Research Group MARM 2016
Poster Presentation
Research in the Achey lab focuses primarily on understanding the interaction between molecules and solid surfaces at interfaces. The solid surfaces can be a nanometer-sized semiconductor or metal particles or metal organic frameworks (MOF's). Shown to the left is a scanning electron microscope image of a MOF. Our current research involves encapsulating ruthenium trisbipyridine in the vacant pores of a MOF and analyzing how the photophysical properties of the molecule and MOF are affected by the presence of one another.
Various analytical instruments and equipment are used in our research including UV-Vis, IR, and fluorescence spectroscopies, electrochemistry, electron microscopy, and microwave synthesis reactors. Our most recent publication investigated how the intramolecular isomerization reaction of azobenzene was influenced by absorbance onto a ZrO2 nanoparticle thin film. The image to the right is also a link to the paper, so check it out!
I was born and raised in Manheim, PA and received my B.S. in Chemistry from Pennsylvania State University in 2008. I then obtained my Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2013 from Johns Hopkins University in the research group of Jerry Meyer. In the summer of 2013, I joined the faculty at Kutztown University. I love teaching chemistry and I hope that I can instill some of that passion in the students that I teach and mentor.
Outside of teaching and research, I enjoy playing sports and running, video games and board games, and spending time with my wife, Megan, and daughter, Abigail.
If you are excited by chemistry and are interested in joining our research team, please come see me in Boehm 423.