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 Jennifer
A. Swift
Associate
Professor
Department of Chemistry
Georgetown
University
37th
and O Streets NW
Washington,
DC 20057-1227
Office: 647 Reiss Science
Phone: 202-687-5567
Fax: 202-687-6209
E-mail:
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| Lab web site |
http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/jas2/ |
Education /
Background |
B.A. magna cum
laude,
1991 Bowdoin College
Ph.
D. 1997 Yale University
Postdoctoral
associate, 1997-1999 Dept of Chemical Engineering & Materials
Science, University of Minnesota,
NSF CAREER Award (2001); CNDLS Teaching, Learning & Technology
Fellow (2003-2004); Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar
Award (2004); American Crystallography Association
Margaret C. Etter Award (2005); College Dean’s
Award for Excellence in Teaching (2005)
[cv] |
| Teaching |
Organic Chemistry
Lecture I, Organic Chemistry Lab I & II, Solid
State Organic Chemistry |
| Research Interests |
Research in the Swift lab is directed
toward gaining a more detailed understanding of the mechanisms
by which molecular crystals nucleate and grow. Most of
the projects in this research area are quite interdisciplinary
- meaning students will be expected to gain experience
in at least a few different areas of chemistry including
x-ray crystallography, atomic force microscopy (AFM),
organic synthesis, and computational modeling.
1. Crystal Growth in Human Disease/Biomineralization
Cholesterol is a major constituent of human
gallstones and arterial plaques. Using in
situ AFM, the real-time crystal growth of this
important material can be elucidated. Unprecedented
details on the crystal's surface structure, growth
rates and growth mechanisms are obtained in model bile
solutions and in a variety of conventional organic
solvents. The nucleating (or anti-nucleating)
influence of assorted impurities is also a subject
of interest.
Uric Acid is a known component of human kidney
stones and gouty deposits. Fundamental AFM studies
provide insight into how solution parameters (e.g.
pH, supersaturation, impurities) affect crystal growth
kinetics and/or mechanisms. Complementary experiments
using microspectrometry are used to elucidate recognition
events between the crystal surface and designer impurities.
2. Crystal Growth With 2D- and
3D- Templates
Crystal Growth in Gels has been used
for over a century as a method for growing metals and
inorganic crystals, but the details of nucleation and
growth within these media are not well understood on
the molecular-level. Our fundamental studies
seek to understand how intermolecular interactions
between the gel and crystal can be exploited to access
unusual crystal morphologies, affect chiral separations
and/or template the growth of new polymorphic phases.
Self Assembled Monolayers can be very
effective templates for the growth of a variety of
moleuclar crystals. The rational design and testing
of a series of SAMs with controlled functionality and
lattice spacing, provides a means to construct a combinatorial
library of 2D templates for molecular crystal growth
studies. |
| In the News |
Crystal
Clear Persuasion
The
Department of Chemistry's Jennifer Swift is launching
a war on crystals that cause gallstones or kidney stones,
hoping to slow down their growth and understand what
makes them tick. June 1, 2005
Chemistry
Professor Honored with Achievement Award
Professor Jennifer Swift has received the 2005
Margaret C. Etter Early Career Award. The annual award
recognizes scientists who have made outstanding achievements
and shown great potential at early stages of their
careers. January 12, 2005
Georgetown Recognizes Outstanding Faculty
Georgetown University awarded professors Norman J. Finkel, Nicoletta
Pireddu and Jennifer Swift the College
Dean Awards for Excellence in Teaching at the 2005-2006 College Faculty
Convocation on November 14, 2005.
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| Recent Publications |
Rupa Hiremath, Joseph A. Basile, Stephen W. Varney,
and Jennifer A. Swift, “Controlling
Polymorphism of Molecular Crystals with Self-Assembled
Monolayer Templates,” J.
Am. Chem. Soc.,
127, 18321-18327 (2005).
Richard S. Abendan and Jennifer A. Swift, “ Dissolution
on Cholesterol Monohydrate Single Crystal Surfaces
Monitored by In Situ Atomic Force Microscopy ,” Crystal
Growth & Design, 5(6), 2146-2153 (2005).
Ryan E. Sours, Amanuel Z. Zellelow and Jennifer
A. Swift, “An in situ Atomic Force
Microscopy Study of Uric Acid Crystal Growth,” J.
Phys. Chem B, 109, 9989-9995 (2005).
Rupa Hiremath, Stephen W. Varney and Jennifer A.
Swift, “Oriented Crystal Growth of 4-Iodo-4’-Nitrobiphenyl
on Polar Self-Assembled Monolayer Templates: a Case
for “Chemical Epitaxy”,” Chem.
Mater., 16, 24, 4948- 4954 (2004).
M.
Crina Frincu, Sean D. Fleming, Andrew L. Rohl and Jennifer
A. Swift, “The Epitaxial Growth of Cholesterol
Crystals from Model Bile Solutions on Calcite Substrates,” J.
Am. Chem. Soc., 126, 25, 7915 – 7924 (2004).
[complete
list]
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page last updated:
January 19, 2009 |
