Michelle conducted her PhD research at Northwestern University, where her thesis focused on understanding the underlying chemical mechanisms which control the growth of noble metal nanostructures, particularly in the synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles with well-defined shapes.
When in the Friend Lab, Michelle’s research involves the synthesis of novel nanoporous alloy materials as catalysts for energy-efficient chemical transformations. The synergistic interactions between the metals in these alloys can result in reactivity that goes beyond that of the two component metals. Her most recent projects were the synthesis of nanoporous gold shells with high accessible surface area for selective oxidation reactions, and the development of a facile and reproducible method for activating nanoporous gold catalysts with a variety of different architectures. Catalysts activated using this method show sustained activity for the selective oxidation of alcohols, and exhibit catalytic behavior which is fundamentally different from previously reported nanoporous gold materials.
Michelle is currently an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Wesleyan University.