Rongchao Jin

Professor, Chemistry

Education

Ph.D. in Chemistry, Northwestern University, 1999–2003

Research

Keywords: Atomically precise metal nanoclusters, optical properties, catalysis

Projects

Jin’s group focuses on Atomically Precise Nanochemistry. Chemists working on nanoparticles (NPs) are often frustrated by the polydispersity/heterogeneities of NPs and the unknown interface between the inorganic core and organic ligands, as these issues preclude atomic-level studies. Jin took on this nanoscience challenge in 2006 by pursuing atomically precise NPs. His group’s intense research has led to the establishment of the synthetic principles for atomically precise NPs. The new nanochemistry has opened up exciting opportunities for fundamental studies by answering some long-existing challenging questions, such as the critical number of gold atoms for the formation of metallic state/bonding in a nanoparticle. Using the perfect NPs and X-ray crystallographically characterized total structures, Jin and coworkers identified the driving forces and principles that guide the multi-scale assembly of NPs. His group’s work demonstrated that the self-assembly of perfect NPs can reach the same level of hierarchy, complexity, and accuracy as that of biomolecules (e.g., proteins) and accordingly revealed new emergent phenomena. The attainment of atomically precise NPs has also revealed many other mysteries at the nanoscale that were previously difficult to tackle, such as the periodicities in the nanoparticle growth, structural isomerization, chirality, and electronic excited-state control. The new types of nanoparticles with atomic precision hold potential in catalysis, energy conversion, optoelectronics, and sensing applications.

Publications

Molecular “surgery” on a 23-gold-atom nanoparticle
Qi Li, Tian-Yi Luo, Michael G. Taylor, Shuxin Wang, Xiaofan Zhu, Yongbo Song, Giannis Mpourmpakis, Nathaniel L. Rosi, Rongchao Jin, Science Advances, 2017, 3 (5) DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1603193

Shuttling single metal atom into and out of a metal nanoparticle
Wang, S., Abroshan, H., Liu, C., Luo, T.-Y., Zhu, M., Kim, H.J., Rosi, N.L., Jin, R. Nature Communications, 2017, 8 (1), art. no. 848

Emergence of hierarchical structural complexities in nanoparticles and their assembly
Zeng, C.; Chen, Y.; Kirschbaum, K.; Lambright, K. J.; Jin, R. Science 2016, 354, 1580–1584

Highly Efficient Three-Component Coupling Reaction Catalysed by Atomically Precise Ligand-Protected Au₃₈(SC₂H₄Ph)₂₄ Nanoclusters
Li, Q.; Das, A.; Wang, S.; Chen, Y.; Jin, R. Chem. Commun. 2016, 52, 14298–14301

(Invited review) Atomically Precise Colloidal Metal Nanoclusters and Nanoparticles: Fundamentals and Opportunities
Jin, R.; Zeng, C.; Zhou, M.; Chen, Y. Chem. Rev. 2016, 116, 10346–10413

Evolution from the Plasmon to Exciton State in Ligand-Protected Atomically Precise Gold Nanoparticles
Zhou, M.; Zeng, C.; Chen, Y.; Zhao, S.; Sfeir, M. Y.; Zhu, M; Jin, R. Nature Communications 2016, 7, 13240

Atomic Structure of Self-Assembled Monolayer of Thiolates on a Tetragonal Au₉₂ Nanocrystal
Zeng, C.; Liu, C.; Chen, Y.; Rosi, N. L.; Jin, R. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 8710–8713. (Featured in JACS Spotlights)

Ultrasmall Palladium Nanoclusters as Effective Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Zhao, S.; Zhang, H.; House, S. D.; Jin, R.; Yang, J.; Jin, R. ChemElectroChem 2016, 3, 1225–1229

Controlling the Atomic Structure of Au₃₀ Nanoclusters by a Ligand-Based Strategy
Higaki, T.; Liu, C.; Zeng, C.; Jin, R.; Chen, Y.; Rosi, N. L.; Jin, R. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2016, 55, 6694–6697

Heavily doped Au_25–xAg_x(SC₆H₁₁)₁₈^– nanoclusters: silver goes from the core to the surface
Li, Q.; Wang, S.; Kirschbaum, K.; Lambright, K.; Das, A.; Jin, R. Chem. Commun. 2016, 52, 5194–5197

Effects of single atom doping on the ultrafast electron dynamics of M₁Au₂₄(SR)₁₈ (M = Pd, Pt) nanoclusters
Zhou, M.; Qian, H.; Sfeir, M. Y.; Nobusada, K.; Jin, R. Nanoscale 2016, 8, 7163– 7171

Gold Quantum Boxes: On the Periodicities and the Quantum Confinement in the Au₂₈, Au₃₆, Au₄₄ and Au₅₂ Magic Series
Zeng, C.; Chen, Y.; Iida, K.; Nobusada, K.; Kirschbaum, K.; Lambright, K.; Jin, R. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 3950–3953. (Featured in JACS Spotlights)

The full list of publications

Appointments

Years	Position
2015–present	Professor, Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University
2012–2015	Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University
2006–2012	Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University

Awards and Distinctions

Years	Award
2020	US National Science Foundation Creativity Award
2019	International Precious Metals Institute (IPMI) Student Advisor Award
2013	Asian Rising Star Award, Federation of Asian Chemical Societies
2011	Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award