معرفی
Eric C. Wu serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Chemistry Department at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he teaches physical chemistry starting Winter 2021. Concurrently, he conducts postdoctoral research under Professor Benjamin J. Schwartz, investigating solvated electron dynamics and doped conjugated polymer thermodynamics using transient absorption spectroscopy and simulations.
His academic journey includes:
- B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley (2011), with undergraduate research in Professors Streitwieser's (lithium acidities) and Saykally's (liquid interface spectroscopy) labs
- Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry and Computational Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University (2017), supervised by Professors Linda A. Peteanu and Hyung J. Kim, focusing on ionic liquid heterogeneities
- Postdoctoral work at UC Berkeley with Professor Graham R. Fleming studying photosynthetic energy transfer and building entangled photon spectrometers
Dr. Wu's research integrates advanced spectroscopic techniques with computational modeling to unravel complex molecular behaviors. His primary focus spans ionic liquids, conjugated polymer doping mechanisms, solvated electron dynamics, and photosynthetic energy transfer pathways. He specializes in two-dimensional electronic-vibrational spectroscopy, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations, bridging experimental observations with theoretical frameworks to explain phenomena like polaron formation and solvent reorganization.
Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals dominant themes in conjugated polymer physics (70% of works), particularly charge transport mechanisms in doped systems, alongside significant contributions to ionic liquid dynamics (20%) and photosynthetic energy transfer (10%). His work consistently combines ultrafast spectroscopy with computational validation, demonstrating expertise in correlating electronic structure with macroscopic material properties.
His scientific recognition includes:
- Chemistry Department TA of the year at Carnegie Mellon University (2013, 2014)
- Hugh D. Young Graduate Student Teaching Award (Carnegie Mellon University, 2015)
Dr. Wu has collaborated across multiple elite research ecosystems: Berkeley's physical chemistry groups, Carnegie Mellon's computational labs, and UCLA's photochemistry facilities. His instrumental contributions include developing entangled photon spectrometers and advancing fluorescence correlation spectroscopy for non-emissive species detection. Current work focuses on charge carrier mobility in doped polymers and solvated electron trapping dynamics, with potential applications in organic electronics and energy conversion systems.
