Benjamin King

Benjamin T. King is the Reynold Clayton Fuson Endowed Professor in Chemistry at the University of Nevada, Reno, within the College of Science. His research focuses on organic and organometallic chemistry, particularly the Scholl reaction for PAH synthesis, zirconium-mediated biphenylation, and carbon nanotube electronic structure.

• Ph.D. in Chemistry (University of Colorado, 2000, under Josef Michl)
• Postdoctoral Research Associate (University of California, Berkeley, 2000-2002)
• B.S. in Chemistry (Northeastern University, 1992)

Research interests include developing synthetic methodologies for strained molecules, studying reaction mechanisms via computational and experimental approaches, and creating quantum sensors funded by the NSF. His work on valence-bond models for CNTs reveals reactivity patterns beyond steric effects.

Recent publications span quantum sensors (SHe-QUID), organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) materials like silicon phthalocyanines, and high-intensity laser applications in particle physics. These articles reflect interdisciplinary trends in chemistry, materials science, and experimental physics.

• NSF Award for SHe-QUID (2025)
• Reynold Clayton Fuson Endowed Professorship (1984)

He leads the King Group, which welcomed new members including Tolani Adegbemisola, Ifeanyi Ikebude, Anastasia Kesse, and John Nyogbe. The group also maintains a cloud-based file server (kingcirrus.org) and collaborates on quantum and sensor technologies.