Spring 2026 CHBE Seminar: Dmitri V. Talapin

The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering presents its spring 2026 seminar series featuring guest speaker Dmitri V. Talpin, the Ernest DeWitt Burton Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Chemistry, James Franck Institute, and Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago. He will give a presentation on “Advancing Material Frontiers and the Intersection of Solid-State and Molecular Chemistry.” This seminar is open to the public and will be held on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, from 3:15–4:30 p.m. in room 131 of Perlstein Hall.

Abstract

Low-dimensional materials, including nanocrystals and atomically thin two-dimensional sheets, effectively bridge the gap between bulk solids and molecules. These materials have advanced significantly in the recent years, largely due to their potential for real-world applications. In this presentation, I will discuss the development of novel functional materials through the integration of concepts from solid-state chemistry, molecular chemistry, and nanotechnology. For example, we expanded the range of synthesizable nanomaterials by developing a new class of colloidal systems—colloids in molten inorganic salts. Using molten salts, we successfully synthesized the first colloidal emissive GaAs and GaN quantum dots, as well as various other functional nanomaterials previously considered impossible to synthesize via colloidal methods. In another example, we combined principles from solid-state and molecular chemistry to advance two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides, known as MXenes. These materials combine the robust electronic and mechanical properties of inorganic 2D crystals with nearly limitless molecular engineering of their surface chemistry. Understanding MXene surfaces requires concepts from coordination chemistry, self-assembled monolayers, and surface science. We demonstrate that MXene surface groups actively contribute to the materials’ conductivity, superconductivity, and catalytic activity.

Biography

Dmitri Talapin is the Ernest DeWitt Burton Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Chemistry, James Franck Institute, and Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago. His research interests focus on inorganic nanomaterials, from synthetic methodology to self-assembly to charge transport and optoelectronic devices.

He was born in the USSR and grew up in Belarus. He received his doctorate degree from the University of Hamburg, Germany in 2002, and pursued postdoctoral work at the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center immediately following. From 2005–2007 he was a staff scientist at the Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and joined faculty at the University of Chicago in 2007. His recognitions include ACS Award in Colloid Chemistry, ACS Inorganic Nanoscience Award, Materials Research Society Outstanding Young Investigator Award, David and Lucile Packard Fellowship in Science and Engineering, and others. He was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2014 and MRS fellow in 2024, and serves as an associate editor for Chemical Science published by the Royal Society of Chemistry.