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Franz M. Geiger

Professor

Ph.D.: Georgetown University
Vordiplom: Technische Universität Berlin

Affiliations

Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry
International Institute for Nanotechnology
Director, Graduate Curriculum
Senior Editor, The Journal of Physical Chemistry (American Chemical Society)

Research Statement

Using cutting-edge laser spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and computational techniques, we focus on the special role that surfaces and interfaces play in geochemistry, atmospheric chemistry and biophysics.

Selected Publications

Molecular Spectroscopy:
"Second-order spectral lineshapes from charged interfaces" Paul E. Ohno, Hong-Fei Wang, and Franz M. GeigerNature Communications, 8, 1032 (2017)

Geochemistry:
"Phase-referenced nonlinear spectroscopy of the α-quartz/water interface” Paul E. Ohno, Sarah A. Saslow, Hong-fei Wang, Franz M. Geiger, and Kenneth B. Eisenthal, Nature Communications, 7, 13587 (2016)

Interdisciplinary Chemistry:
"Reduced ultrafine particle levels in Sao Paulo's atmosphere during shifts from gasoline to ethanol use" Alberto Salvo, Joel Brito, Paulo Artaxo, and Franz M. GeigerNature Communications, 7, 88 (2017)

“Reduction in local ozone levels in urban Sao Paulo due to a shift from ethanol to gasoline use” Alberto Salvo and Franz M. GeigerNature Geoscience, 7, 450-458 (2014)

Materials Chemistry:
“Aqueous Proton Transfer Across Single Layer Graphene” Jennifer L. Achtyl, Raymond R. Unocic, Lijun Xu, Yu Cai, Muralikrishna Raju, Weiwei Zhang, Robert L. Sacci, Ivan V. Vlassiouk, Pasquale F. Fulvio, Panchapakesan Ganesh, David J. Wesolowski, Sheng Dai, Adri C. T. van Duin, Matthew Neurock, Franz M. Geiger, Nature Communications, 6, 6539 (2015)

Atmospheric Chemistry:
"Cloud Activation Potentials for Atmospheric α-Pinene and β-Caryophyllene Ozonolysis Products" Ariana Gray Bé, Mary Alice Upshur, Pengfei Liu, Scot T. Martin, Franz M. Geiger, and Regan J. Thompson, ACS Central Science, 3, 715-725 (2017)

Sustainable Nanotechnology:
"Quantifying the Electrostatics of Polycation-Lipid Bilayer Interactions" Julianne M. Troiano, Alicia C. McGeachy, Laura L. Olenick, Dong Fang, Dongyue Liang, Jiewei Hong, Thomas R. Kuech, Emily R. Caudill, Joel A. Pedersen, Qiang Cui, and Franz M. Geiger, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 139, 5808-5816 (2017) 

Chemical Education:
“Enhancing Graduate Student Communication to General Audiences through Blogging about Nanotechnology and Sustainability” Lee M. Bishop, Ayesha S. Tillman, Franz M. Geiger, Christy L. Haynes, Rebecca D. Klaper, Catherine J. Murphy, Galya Orr, Joel A. Pedersen, Lizanne DeStefano, and Robert J. Hamers, J. Chem. Educ., 91, 1600–1605 (2014)

Selected Honors/Awards

  • ACS National Award Canvassing Committee, 2021—2024
  • Appointed to the Editorial Advisory Board of Cell Reports Physical Science, 2021-224
  • ACS Nobel Laureate Signature Award in Graduate Education in Chemistry, with Dr. Paul Ohno, 2021
  • Appointed to the Editorial Advisory Board of Chem, 2019-22
  • Appointed Member, National Academy of Sciences Chemical Sciences Roundtable, 2018-21 and 2021-24
  • Chair, ACS National Awards Selection Committee, 2017-18
  • Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Prize of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, 2017
  • Faculty Diversity Award from NU's Graduate School, 2016
  • Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), 2016
  • Elected Vice Chair, Division of Experimental Physical Chemistry, ACS Division of Physical Chemistry, 2016
  • ACS National Award Selection Committee, 2015—2017
  • Elected Member at Large, Executive Committee, ACS Division of Physical Chemistry, 2015
  • Telluride Science Research Center, General Member, 2015
  • Appointed Senior Editor, The Journal of Physical Chemistry, 2014
  • Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 2012
  • Baker Lecturer, Cornell University, 2012
  • Gordon Research Conference on Vibrational Spectroscopy, Co-Chair, 2012
  • Telluride Science Research Center, Board Member, 2011—2013
  • Appointed to the Editorial Advisory Board of Chemical Physics Letters, 2011
  • SAS Tour Speaker for the Society for Applied Spectroscopy, 2009
  • Appointed to the Editorial Advisory Board of The Journal of Physical Chemistry, 2007—2013
  • ACS Division of Environmental Chemistry Certificate of Merit, 2007
  • Sloan Fellowship, 2007—2009
  • PLU Lecture, Texas A&M University, 2007
  • Dow Chemical Company Professorship, 2006—2008
  • “Interdisciplinary Problems in Chemistry and Physics” Lecture, University of Maryland, 2006
  • Ralph Grim Mineralogy Lecture, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 2006
  • Appointed to Editorial Board, Geochemical Transactions, 2005-present
  • Distinguished Teaching Award, Northwestern University Undergraduate Chemistry Council, 2005
  • Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Award in Environmental Chemistry, 2004
  • Searle Teaching Scholar, 2004
  • NSF-CAREER Award, 2004—2009
  • Harold N. Glassman Award, 2001
  • NOAA Postdoctoral Fellow in Climate and Global Change with Mario Molina, 1999—2001
  • NASA Fellowship in Earth System Sciences with Janice Hicks, 1996—1998