The Adams Lectureship Inaugural Symposium

Richard D. Adams Lectures in Inorganic Chemistry:

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at The McCausland College of Arts and Sciences at the University of South Carolina is pleased to present the 2025 Richard D. Adams Lectures in Inorganic Chemistry on Friday, October 31st at 3:15 p.m. in Room 210.

Before the symposium, guests are invited to join us for a reception in the Jones Physical Science Center, Biology Lab Atrium at 2:30 p.m.

This event is free and open to the public. However, registration is recommended to secure your seat, as we anticipate a high volume of attendees for the symposium.

The event is made possible by Richard D. Adams, Carolina Distinguished Professor Emeritus.

About Richard D. Adams

Richard D. Adams received his B.S. from Pennsylvania State University in 1969 and his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1973. He joined the faculty of the University of South Carolina in 1984. A leading figure in inorganic chemistry, his research focuses on the synthesis, structures, and catalytic properties of unsaturated bimetallic clusters and nanoparticles for hydrogen activation and selective oxidation. Professor Adams has been widely recognized for his contributions in research and education, receiving major honors including the ACS Award for Inorganic Chemistry (1999), the Henry J. Albert Award (2005), the ACS Award for Distinguished Service in the Advancement of Inorganic Chemistry (2010), and the Southeastern Universities Research Association Distinguished Scientist Award (2011). He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2003) and recipient of numerous other regional and national awards for excellence in research and teaching, including the Mungo Graduate Teaching Award (2018). Throughout his career, Professor Adams authored or coauthored over 600 scientific papers and supervised 49 Ph.D. students. After serving as a regional editor of Journal of Organometallic Chemistry for 20 years, he has served as its editor-in-chief since 2017.

About Catherine J. Murphy's lecture

Inorganic nanocrystals containing heavy elements are relatively easy to visualize with electron microscopy. Much harder to measure and image is the "soft stuff" around such nanocrystals that renders them stable in solution. The principal nanocrystals of interest are colloidal gold, due to the plasmonic properties that enable applications in chemical sensing, biological imaging, and biomedical photothermal therapy. Interfacial chemistry at the surface of these nanocrystals can be performed with reactions analogous to self-assembled monolayer formation on flat gold surfaces, or the as-made colloidal nanocrystals can be modified with layer-by-layer assemblies of polyelectrolytes. Measurement of surface molecular packing density and dynamics are assessed via STEM/EELS in vacuo, and by NMR in solution. The impact of surface chemistry on nanocrystal function is profound, ranging from control of photo-triggered molecular delivery to control of protein display on curved surfaces, to control of live cell migration.

About Tobin J. Marks's lecture

This lecture focuses on mechanism and thermodynamics-based strategies to deconstruct/recycle PET and other polyesters, nylons, and polyolefins, using structurally well-defined earth-abundant molecule-derived heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts and complementary DFT analysis. These catalytic processes are solvent-free, proceed in high conversions and selectivities under relatively mild conditions, and the catalysts are multiply recyclable. Details of the reaction mechanisms and those factors governing catalytic selectivity are emphasized.

For more information, please contact: [email protected]

All attendees are expected to adhere to the Carolinian Creed.

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