Anna Yang
Assistant Professor
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Contact
Affiliations: Chemistry & Biochemistry
Research interests: design of molecular building units with built-in functions for hierarchical self-assembly
![Anna Yang](/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_photos/ayang2.jpg.webp?itok=u1Tw5yDM)
Education
B.S., Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
Ph.D., Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemistry, Northwestern University
Teaching
Chem 32 (Organic Chemistry II)
Chem 104 (Topics in Organic Chemistry)
Chem 94 (Research Project)
Research
Research in our lab encompasses design of molecular building units with built-in functions for hierarchical self-assembly. Particularly, we are interested in utilizing dynamic alkyne metathesis to develop self-assembled nanotubes and organic cages from conjugated building units for stimuli-responsive functional materials. In preparation of those self-assembled functional materials, students will seek to answer fundamental questions to elucidate effects of building units and reaction conditions on assembly pathways and structure to function relationship of resulting stimuli-responsive molecular architectures. Our research incorporates elements of supramolecular chemistry, dynamic covalent chemistry, organic synthesis and characterization, and properties of nanomaterials. Our favorite techniques include nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopies, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC).
Recent publications *Undergraduate students underlined
Ching, C.; Ling, Y.; Trang, B.; Klemes, M.; Xiao, L.; Yang, A.; Barin, G.; Dichtel, W. R.; Helbling, D. E. “Identifying the physicochemical properties of β-cyclodextrin polymers that determine the adsorption of perfluoroalkyl acids.” Water Research, 2022, 209, 117938. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117938
Ateia, M.; Skala, L. P.; Yang, A.; Dichtel, W. R. “Product Analysis and Insight into the mechanochemical Destruction of PFAS with Potassium Hydroxide.” J. Hazard. Mat. Adv., 2021, 3, 100014. DOI: 10.1016/j.hazadv.2021.100014
Li, L. R.; Yang, A.; Flanders, C. N.; Yeung, M.; Sheppard, D.; Dichtel, R. W. “Two-Dimensional Covalent Organic Framework Solid Solutions” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2021, 143, 7081-7087. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c01683.
Yang, A.; Ching, C.; Easler, M.; Helbling D.; Dichtel W. R. “Cyclodextrin Polymer with Nitrogen-Containing Tripodal Crosslinkers for Efficient PFAS Adsorption.” ACS Materials Lett. 2020, 2, 1240–1245. DOI: 10.1021/acsmaterialslett.0c00240.
Chen, R. ǂ; Yang, A.ǂ; Chang, A.ǂ; Oweimrin, P.; Romero, J.; Ha, K.; Vichitcharoenpaisarn, P,; Tapia, S.; Villaflor, C.; Shen, M. “A Newly Synthesized Tris(crown ether) Ionophore for Assisted Ion Transfer at NanoITIES Electrodes.” ChemElectroChem. 2020, 7, 967. DOI: 10.1002/celc.201901997
Skala, L. P.; Yang, A.; Klemes, M. J.; Xiao, L.; Dichtel W. R. “Resorcinarene Cavitand Polymers for the Remediation of Halomethanes and 1,4-Dioxane.” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2019, 141, 13315. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b06749