Jean-Hubert Olivier

Dr. Jean-Hubert Olivier is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of New Mexico. He leads the Olivier Laboratory, focusing on developing supramolecular tools to engineer organic materials with optimized light-matter interactions and energy transduction. His work addresses challenges in non-covalent assemblies' structural and electronic properties, particularly targeting metastable states and out-of-equilibrium conditions. Key strategies include manipulating electrostatic interactions and stabilizing supramolecular polymers in solution and at interfaces.

Research interests span the intersection of organic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, and materials science. The lab investigates excitonic and potentiometric properties, aiming to design materials for neural interfaces and energy capture systems. Recent efforts include pioneering methods to modulate conduction band energies of silicon interfaces and reducing foreign body responses in implants.

Notable achievements include the 2023 NSF CAREER Award, which supports his work on reconfiguring pi-conjugated superstructures. His research group collaborates on projects like polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes and fuel-driven conductive hydrogels. Courses taught include CHM 691 (π-Conjugated Materials) and undergarduate courses in organic chemistry and spectroscopic methods (CHM 221, CHM 202).

Advising includes graduate student Robert Wilson and contributions to grants such as collaborative research on hierarchical organic materials and the NSF CAREER initiative. The lab emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, combining synthetic chemistry with advanced spectroscopic techniques to quantify material properties.

Labs/Teams: The Olivier Research Group (O.R.G.) focuses on creating novel nanomaterials and functionalizing neural interfaces. The lab’s activities include designing carbon nanotube-based composites and exploring light-harvesting systems through supramolecular engineering.