Welcome to the Swearer Lab

at Northwestern University

We are a multidisciplinary team building the chemical knowledge and technological foundation that is helping to lay the groundwork for the monumental sustainability overhaul that we must undergo to address the global threat of climate change. We are taking a page out of Nature’s playbook by developing new materials and methods to use light as a ubiquitous energy resource to circumvent our current dependence on fossil fuels. Please check back regularly for updates.

Our Research

We seek to address outstanding global challenges in realizing a circular carbon economy and the mitigation of environmental threats to global health using our expertise in materials chemistry, heterogeneous catalysis, and interfacial nanoscience. In our research, we combine experimental approaches in material synthesis, surface science, spectroscopy, microscopy, and reactor design to study problems at the interface between nanophotonics and chemistry.

Novel Photocatalytic Nanostructures for Light-driven Chemistry

Applied Photocatalytic Reactions to Address Anthropogenic Pollution

In Operando Insight into Sustainable Chemical Processes

Meet Our Team

Join Us!

We are actively recruiting passionate scientists and engineers to join our mission. To learn more about our current group members and available positions please click here.

Select Publications

Hot Carrier Photochemistry on Metal Nanoparticles

Newmeyer, E-R., North, J.D., Swearer, D.F., Hot Carrier Photochemistry on Metal Nanoparticles, Journal of Applied Physics, (2022), 132, 230901.

DOI:10.1063/5.0123892110.1063/5.0123892

Core−Shell Nanoparticles for Plasmonic Photocatalysis

Bayles, A., Tian, S., Zhou, J., Yuan, L.,  Yuan, Y., Jacobson, C.R., Farr, C., Zhang, M., Swearer, D.F., Solti, D., Lou, M., Everitt, H.O., Nordlander, P., Halas N.J., Al@TiO2 Core−Shell Nanoparticles for Plasmonic Photocatalysis ACS Nano, (2022), 16, 4, 5839–5850

DOI:10.1021/acsnano.1c10995

Advancing Plasmon-Induced Selectivity in Chemical Transformations with Optically Coupled Transmission Electron Microscopy

Swearer, D.F., Bourgeois, B.B., Angell, D.K., Dionne, J.A.; Advancing Plasmon-Induced Selectivity in Chemical Transformations with Optically Coupled Transmission Electron Microscopy, Accounts of Chemical Research, (2021), 54, 19, 3632–3642

DOI:10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00309

Hot carrier multiplication in plasmonic photocatalysis

Zhou, L., Lou, M., Bao, J.L., Zhang, C., Liu, J.G., Martirez, J.M.P., Tian, S., Yuan, L., Swearer, D.F., Robatjazi, H., Carter, E.A., Nordlander, P., Halas N.J.; Hot carrier multiplication in plasmonic photocatalysis, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, (2021),

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022109118

Single Particle Cathodoluminescence Spectroscopy with Sub-20 Nanometer, Electron Stable Phosphors

Swearer, D.F., Fischer, S., Angell, D.K., Siefe, C., Alivisatos, A.P., Chu, S., Dionne, J.A., Single Particle Cathodoluminescence Spectroscopy with Sub-20 Nanometer, Electron Stable Phosphors, ACS Photonics, (2021), 8, 6, 1539–1547.

DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.1c00235

Contact Us

Address

2145 Sheridan Road
Catalysis Center 217
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL 60208

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Get in Touch

For any inquiries about our work please direct emails to Prof. Dayne Swearer

dayne.swearer [at] northwestern [dot] com