Specialties

Katherine (Kallie) Willets

Professor
Physical/Analytical
Office: Beury 340
Phone: 215-204-7990
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Biography

2005-2007

2005

1999

Selected Awards
Postdoctoral researcher, Northwestern University

Ph.D. Chemistry, Stanford University

B.A. Chemistry, Dartmouth College

ACS Nano, Associated Editor.  Defense Science Study Group. Robert L. Smith Early Career Professor. Department of Energy Early Career Award.  Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Award.

Interests

The Willets lab is interested in understanding how heterogeneity at the nanoscale impacts materials properties and functions, with applications in spectroscopy, molecular sensing, and electrochemistry.  Our primary focus is in the field of plasmonics, in which we study the interactions among ~10-100 nm noble metal nanostructures, organic molecules, and light.  We use a variety of spectroscopy and microscopy techniques, including super-resolution imaging, single molecule fluorescence, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), and dark field scattering, and complement these studies with structural characterization methods such as atomic force microscopy and electron microscopy.

Select Publications

J.W. Monaghan, Z.J. O’Dell, S. Sridhar, B. Paranzino, V. Sundaresan, K.A. Willets.  “Calcite-Assisted Localization and Kinetics (CLocK) Microscopy.” J. Phys. Chem. Lett.  13, 10527 (2022).

N.Y. Molina, T. Pungsrisai, Z.J. O’Dell, B. Paranzino, K.A. Willets.  “The Hidden Role of the Supporting Electrode for Creating Heterogeneity in Single Entity Electrochemistry.” ChemElectroChem.  DOI: 10.1002/celc.202200245 (2022).

P.A. Reinhardt, A.P. Crawford, C.A. West, G. Delong, S. Link, D.J. Masiello, K.A. Willets. “Towards Quantitative Nanothermometry Using Single-Molecule Counting.” J. Phys. Chem. B.  125, 12197 (2021). 

Y. Yu, K. Wijesekara, X.X. Xi, K.A. Willets.  “Quantifying Wavelength-Dependent Plasmonic Hot Carrier Energy Distributions at Metal/Semiconductor Interfaces.”  ACS Nano.  13, 3629 (2019).
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V. Sundaresan, J.W. Monaghan, K.A. Willets.  "Visualizing the Effect of Partial Oxide Formation on Single Silver Nanoparticle Electrodissolution."   J. Phys. Chem. C.  122, 3138 (2018).