• home
• people
• facilities
• research
• coursework
• contact
• links

Brycelyn M. Boardman, Ph.D. Assistant Professor (Coming Spring 2011) Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry 540.568.xxxx boardmbm@jmu.edu Research Page

Education, Honors, Awards

• Assistant Professor, James Madison University (2010-present)
• Associate Adjunct Professor, Yeshiva University, NY (2009-2010)
• Postdoctoral Associate, Columbia University (2008-2010)
• Ph.D., University of California at Santa Barbara(2008)
• B.S., James Madison University (2003)

Research Interests

• Synthesis of organic-inorganic hybrid materials
• Tuning optical properties of hybrid materials
• Morphology and phase separation of polymeric materials

Research Description

IAs the global demand for low-cost renewable energy sources intensifies, interest in new routes for converting solar energy to electricity is rapidly increasing. While photovoltaic cells have been commercially available for more than 50 years, only 0.1% of the total electricity generated in the United States comes directly from sunlight. Today the market is still dominated by the earliest commercial solar technology, highly ordered crystalline inorganic solar cells. Many research groups, both industrial and academic, have been focused on new solar technologies that can compete with the current standard. Dr. Boardman’s research is focused on understanding the fundamental interactions of donor/acceptor materials in organic based photovoltaic devices. Her background in polymer chemistry and inorganic synthesis has allowed her to approach the problems facing materials for solar applications in a new way.  Bridging the gap between traditional organic and inorganic materials to produce hybrid materials that bring the benefits of each to produce new materials with a serious impact.  Students in Dr. Boardman’s lab will have the opportunity to design and synthesize new materials as well as gain experience using optical and surface characterization methods.  Fully understanding the properties of the materials allows for rational uses of these materials as well as in the development of materials with improved performance.

Selected Recent Publications

• B.M. Boardman, J. Widawsky, L. Venkataraman, M. Steigerwald, C. Nuckolls “Conductance of Single Cobalt Chalcogenide Clusters “manuscript in progress.
• B.M. Boardman and G. C. Bazan, “a-Iminocarboxamide Complexes of Nickel” Accounts of Chemical Research, 2009, 42, 1597.
• B.M. Boardman, G. Wu, R. Rojas, and G.C. Baan. “ Binding Modes of a Dimethyliminopentanone Ligand on Nickel Pre-Catalysts Toward Olefin Polymerization”  J. Organomet. Chem 2009, 694, 1380.
• B.M. Boardman, J.M. Valderrama, F. Munoz, G. Wu, G.C. Bazan, and R. Rojas. ”Remote Activation of Nickel Complexes by Coordination of B(C6F5)3 to an Exocyclic Carbonitrile Functionality.” Organometallics. 2008, 27, 1671.
• Y. Chen, B.M. Boardman, G. Wu, and G.C. Bazan “A Zwitterionic Nickel-Olefin Initiator for the Preparation of High Molecular Weight Polyethylene” J. Organomet. Chem 2007, 692, 4745.

Last Modified: 07/21/08