Virginia Tech Chemistry: Prof. Louis Madsen

Prof. Louis Madsen

Assistant Professor, Physical, Polymers/Materials Chemistry
E-mail: lmadsen@vt.edu
Office: 405 Davidson Hall
Phone: 540-231-1270
Fax: 540-231-3255

Education, Honors, Awards

BA, 1994 - Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA
PhD, 2002 - California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (NSF Fellowship, Dow Fellowship)
Postoctoral Associate, 2002-2006 - University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Visiting Scientist, 2005 - Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand

Research Interests

Our perceptions of "soft" materials (e.g., polymers or liquid crystals) rely mostly on bulk macroscopic properties and on observations made after synthesis and processing are complete. However, to best design soft materials we must gain insights into their structure and dynamics at the molecular level, as these properties govern their macroscopic behavior. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is especially well suited to investigating and quantifying structure, dynamics, and morphology and is the primary method used in our laboratory. Thus, we hope to span the molecular and macroscopic worlds, both to give a more complete picture of soft material behavior and to provide calculated feedback on synthesis and processing efforts.

In order to access different materials and experimental conditions, we often develop novel NMR spectroscopy and imaging techniques using creative approaches to detection or sample environment. Specific interests in our group include:

Correlation of bulk polymer shear and deformation (rheology) with molecular and micron-scale details via "rheo-NMR" spectroscopy and imaging
Investigation and development of the role of orientational order in the operation of fuel cell polyelectrolytes
Development of in situ NMR techniques for the analysis of advanced polymers processed in supercritical CO₂
Amplifying force-detected NMR into use as a sensitive and highly specific technique for probing microscopic samples

Selected Publications

"Plasticization of Poly(ethylene oxide) in Fluid CO₂ Measured by in-Situ NMR" L. A. Madsen. Macromolecules 39, 1483-1487 (2006).
"Addressing Non-Idealities in NMR Experiments on Rotating Liquid Crystals" L. A. Madsen and E. T. Samulski. Liquid Crystals 32, 1419-1425 (2005).
"Investigating the Core Moiety of Banana-Shaped Liquid Crystals using ²H NMR Coupled with Quantum Simulations" V. Domenici, L. A. Madsen, E. J. Choi, E. T. Samulski, and C. A. Veracini. Chemical Physics Letters 402, 318-323 (2005).
"Observation of Force-Detected Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in a Homogeneous Field" L. A. Madsen, G. M. Leskowitz, and D. P. Weitekamp. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 101, 12804-12808 (2004).
"Thermotropic Biaxial Nematic Liquid Crystals" L. A. Madsen, T. J. Dingemans, M. Nakata, and E. T. Samulski. Physical Review Letters 92, 145505 (2004).

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