FSU chemist to receive American Chemical Society Award in Surface Chemistry
A 糖心vlog chemist specializing in the study of chemical reactions between materials has received a national honor for his work from the American Chemical Society, or ACS.
Hedi Mattoussi, a Distinguished Research Professor with the , has been selected to receive the 2024 ACS Award in Surface Chemistry in recognition of his contributions to the advancement of surface chemistry 鈥 a branch of the field concerned with processes occurring at interfaces between phases, especially between liquid and gas forms.
鈥淭o receive this award is proof that the work you鈥檝e been doing for years is appreciated and impactful,鈥 Mattoussi said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 satisfying in a sense. But most of all, it鈥檚 nice to feel the appreciative interactions that I鈥檝e had in the past few years and even the numerous messages I鈥檝e received from friends here and outside the U.S. That鈥檚 a wonderful feeling.鈥
The ACS Award in Surface Chemistry was established in 1991 as the Arthur W. Adamson Award for Distinguished Service in the Advancement of Surface Chemistry, and was sponsored by Occidental Petroleum Corporation. The award was sponsored by the ACS and its various divisions from 2008-2017 and has been sponsored by Procter & Gamble since 2018. A single recipient is selected for the award annually.
Mattoussi鈥檚 research at FSU focuses on understanding and tailoring the surface properties of colloidal inorganic nanocrystals 鈥 tiny, artificially-grown inorganic particles that are stabilized by a layer of surfactants attached to their surface 鈥 and determining how they can be used in various applications, including in biological imaging and sensing.
Earlier this year, Mattoussi published in the detailing development of a new test to detect biological markers related to several types of cancer.
鈥淲e work with various nanostructured materials, particularly with what people define as colloidal nanocrystals. These are made of inorganic cores, the hard part of the system. And they are colloidal because they have a ligand on their surfaces that allows them to float in a solution environment. In other words, if you remove that ligand, they will just aggregate and clump at the bottom of the sample,鈥 Mattoussi said.
Mattoussi鈥檚 lab works to identify ways to control and optimize several key aspects of nanoparticle growth, structural and optical characterization, ligand design and surface coordination. Researchers use techniques such as photochemistry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to characterize the surface properties of these nanomaterials and develop approaches to control their interactions with their surrounding environment as a means for energy harvesting and sensor design.
Since joining the Florida State faculty in 2009, Mattoussi has been named a fellow of the American Chemical Society, the American Physical Society, the Materials Research Society, and the Royal Society of Chemistry. He is the first member of the department to receive the ACS Award in Surface Chemistry.
鈥淚t is a well-deserved award that recognizes the exceptional contributions that Professor Mattoussi has made to the general area of surface chemistry, particularly through his creative endeavor on designing and synthesizing novel nanocrystals and creating multifunctional ligands on their surfaces,鈥 said Department of Chemistry Chair Wei Yang. 鈥淭his award once again displays the excellence of faculty scholarship and the competitiveness of research programs in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.鈥
The ACS award is the latest honor for Mattoussi, whose research portfolio includes approximately 240 publications and 17 U.S.-issued patents.
鈥淚t is my pleasure to again recognize a chemistry and biochemistry faculty member by congratulating Hedi as our first winner of the ACS Surface Chemistry award,鈥 said Sam Huckaba, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. 鈥淗e is most deserving and we are proud of his accomplishments.鈥
Mattoussi is set to accept the award at the ACS Spring 2024 Meeting and Expo, scheduled for March 17-21 in New Orleans.
To learn more about the 2024 ACS National Awards, visit . To learn more about Mattoussi鈥檚 work and chemistry at FSU, visit .