Stephan Link

Stephan Link is Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he leads the Link Research Group in the Chemical & Life Sciences Laboratory. Previously, he held the Charles W. Duncan, Jr.-Welch Chair and was Professor of Chemistry and Electrical & Computer Engineering at Rice University. His research focuses on understanding plasmonic nanoparticle interactions and their optical properties.

His research interests span plasmonics, nanoparticle assemblies, single particle spectroscopy, and light harvesting. The Link lab investigates collective optical properties of plasmonic nanoparticle assemblies, light harvesting and energy conversion with surface plasmons, and interactions between nanoparticles and proteins. Current emphases include optical dichroism, nanoscale thermal control, nanoparticle arrays, plasmon-coupled circular dichroism, single-particle spectro-electrochemistry, and plasmon-enhanced solvated electron generation.

Analysis of recent publications reveals strong focus on carbon nanomaterials, plasmonic properties of metal nanoparticles, and protein-nanoparticle interactions. Key trends include single-particle characterization techniques, hot carrier dynamics in plasmonic systems, and development of novel spectroscopic methods for nanoscale analysis.

• NSF CAREER award
• Norman Hackerman Award in Chemical Research

Professor Link actively mentors numerous graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Recent group members include Dr. Katsuya Shiratori (PhD graduate), Eric Gomez, Sukanya Dutta, Dr. Ramsha Khan, Dr. Jae-Ho Kim, Levi Dumpert, Chang (Justine) You, and Dr. Cameron Wright. His research involves collaborations with the Landes group and receives funding supporting projects in plasmonics and nanophotonics.

The Link Research Group operates at the intersection of chemistry, physics, and engineering, with facilities for single-particle spectroscopy, ultrafast pump-probe measurements, and nanofabrication. The group maintains active collaborations across institutions and participates in joint activities with other research groups.