Our latest paper was published in JACS! Congrats to Peng and Debbie!

Congratulations to Peng, Yu-Ling (Debbie), and coauthors on their latest publication appearing in JACS! In collaboration with the Shabat group at Tel Aviv University, we report a novel platform for mechanically triggered chemiluminescence that leverages a unique synergy between our masked 2-furylcarbinol mechanophores and powerful 1,2-dioxetane chemiluminophores. This highly modular system represents the first new mechanophore chemistry for achieving mechanically triggered light generation in over a decade and opens up new possibilities for optoelectronics, sensing, bioimaging, optogenetics, and many other applications. Read more about it here.

Max promoted to Professor with tenure!

Max was granted tenure today and promoted to Professor of Chemistry at Caltech! I am beyond grateful to the amazing students, colleagues, mentors, family, and friends that helped me get here. Thank you!

Congrats Dr. Tian Zeng!

Congrats to Tian (May) for successfully defending her PhD thesis! PhD #7 for the Robb group! May will soon be moving to the east coast to start a postdoc at Janelia working with Dr. Luke Lavis. Good luck, May! 

Our latest paper was published in JACS! Congrats to May!

Congratulations to Tian (May) and coauthors Liam and Peng on their latest publication appearing in JACS! We introduce a new nonscissile mechanophore for mechanically triggered small molecule release enabling the preparation of multimechanophore polymers capable of releasing hundreds of small-molecule payloads. Read more about it here.

Our latest paper was published in Chemical Science! Congrats to Debbie!

Congratulations to Yu-Ling (Debbie) and coauthor Tian (May) on their latest publication appearing in Chemical Science! We leverage the unique fragmentation pathway of an aryloxy-substituted 2-furylcarbinol derivative to design a mechanophore incorporating a self-immolative linker that is capable of dual payload release. Read more about it here. 

Patent issued!

We had a patent issued today! "Mechanical regulation of photoswitching." U.S. Patent 11,834,442 issued December 5, 2023. Congrats to former postdoc and coinventor Xiaoran Hu on this achievement! 

Welcome to new graduate students Analiese, Nathan, and Liam!

We are excited to welcome first year graduate students Analiese Wiedenbeck, Nathan Ballinger, and Liam Ordner to the Robb group! Analiese earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Colorado State University; Nathan earned a B.S. in Chemistry from University of Washington; and Liam earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Geogia Tech. Welcome aboard!

Max joins EAB for RSC Mechanochemistry

Max joined the Editorial Advisory Board for RSC Mechanochemistry. The launch of this new journal captures the excitement and potential of this rapidly growing discipline and affords a unique opportunity to showcase the diversity, creativity, and impact of the field.

Our latest paper was published in PNAS! Congrats to Molly, Yuxing, and everyone involved!

Congratulations to Molly, Yuxing, and colleagues on our new paper appearing today in PNAS! In collaboration with the Shapiro group, we demonstrate that biocompatible focused ultrasound can be used to activate mechanophores for triggered molecular release under physiological conditions. The trick? Protein nanostructures called gas vesicles that function as acousto-mechanical transducers. We are excited about the possibilities this work enables for translating polymer mechanochemistry for biomedical applications. Congrats to all! Read the paper here. Also check out the Caltech news story here, and a story in Physics World here.

Our latest paper was published in Chemical Science! Congrats to Yan!

Congratulations to Yan and coauthors Molly, Skylar, and Ross on their latest publication appearing in Chemical Science! We demonstrate that a polarizing dialkylamine substituent engenders a linear naphthopyran motif with anomalous photochromic and mechanochromic behavior. Read more about it here. 

Max receives National Fresenius Award!

Max received the 2023 National Fresenius Award! Check out the announcement in C&E News, the Phi Lambda Upsilon website, and the list of prior awardees. A huge thank you to the members of the Robb group and our supporters for this recognition.

Our latest paper was published in Chemical Science! Congrats to Molly!

Congratulations to Molly and coauthors Ross and Anna on their latest publication appearing in Chemical Science! We provide a comprehensive perspective on naphthopyran switches and their emergent mechanochemical reactivity. Read it here.

Our latest paper was published in Polymer Chemistry! Congrats to Skylar, Molly, and May!

Congratulations to Skylar and coauthors Molly and May on their latest publication appearing today in Polymer Chemistry! We describe a new 2H-bis-naphthopyran mechanophore that generates an unusually stable bis-merocyanine dye with force. Kudos to Skylar for some serious analytical depth. Check it out here.

The group receives a grant from the Army Research Office!

The Robb group was awarded a grant from the Army Research Office to support our research on mechanically gated reactions for force-adaptive polymeric materials! ARO has been a prominent supporter of polymer mechanochemistry research and we are excited to get involved. 

The group receives an R35 (MIRA) grant from NIH!

The Robb group was awarded an R35 (MIRA) grant from the NIH (NIGMS) to support our research on mechanically triggered molecular release! We are thrilled for this opportunity to continue advancing our research in this area and for new directions and challenges. Keep your eyes peeled for exciting developments in this space!

Jolly wins Frederick W. Hinrichs, Jr. Memorial Award!

Congratulations to Jolly Patro on receiving the Frederick W. Hinrichs, Jr. Memorial Award recognizing a Caltech senior who made the greatest contribution to the student body and whose character, leadership, and responsibility have been outstanding. A truly well deserved recognition! We are so proud of you. 

Molly receives Herbert Newby McCoy Award!

Molly was selected to receive the 2023 McCoy Award, which is presented annually to recognize the most outstanding achievements in research by a CCE graduate student. Congratulations, Molly!

Congrats Dr. Anna Overholts!

Congratulations to Anna for successfully defending her PhD thesis! PhD #6 for the Robb group! This summer, Anna will be moving north to the San Jose area to begin a job as a technical consultant at Exponent. Good luck, Anna! 

Congrats Dr. Ross Barber!

Congratulations to Ross for successfully defending his thesis today! Ross will move to the east coast to start a new position at Impact Nano near Boston, MA. Good luck, Ross! We will miss you. 

Congrats Dr. Corey Husic and Dr. Brooke Versaw!

Congratulations to Corey and Brooke for successfully defending their theses on April 21st and April 24th, respectively! Corey will start at Dow in Performance Silicones and Brooke will head to Northrop Grumman in the Future Technical Leaders program. Good luck to you both! 

Congrats Dr. Molly McFadden!

Congratulations to Molly for successfully defending her thesis today! This summer Molly will head to UC Berkeley to start her postdoc as a Miller Research Fellow. We are so proud of you!

Congrats Dr. Quan Gan!

Congratulations to Quan for successfully defending his thesis today! Quan was the last PhD student in the Grubbs group and joined the Robb group after Bob's passing in 2021. Quan will return to China to start a job at Huawei. Good luck! 

Jolly wins oral presentation award at ACS meeting!

Congratulations to Jolly for winning the Second Place Oral Presentation Award in the POLY Undergraduate Research Symposium at the spring 2023 ACS meeting! 

Our latest paper was published in ACS Macro Lett! Congrats to Molly, Anna, and Skylar!

Congratulations to Molly and coauthors Anna and Skylar on their latest publication appearing today in ACS Macro Letters! We validate an initial rates method that enables the accurate and rapid determination of rate constants for ultrasound-induced mechanochemical transformations. Check it out here.

Patent issued!

Our group's first patent was issued today! "Method for controlled release using mechanical force." U.S. Patent 11,584,752, issued February 21, 2023. Congrats to coinventors May Zeng and Xiaoran Hu on this achievement! 

Max receives Rose Hills Foundation Innovator Award!

Max received the 2023 Innovator Award from the Rose Hills Foundation! We are very grateful for this recognition and funding that will support our research on naphthopyran mechanochemistry. 

Our latest paper was published in Nature Chemistry! Congrats to Anna and Wendy!

Congratulations to Anna and Wendy on their latest publication appearing in Nature Chemistry! We developed a mechanophore platform enabling the mechanically gated formation of DASA dyes/photoswitches, and used this chemistry to establish a novel method of mechanochemical multicolor lithography. Read the paper here, and check out the news articles from Caltech (here) and Nature Chemistry (here).

Molly awarded Miller Research Fellowship!

Molly McFadden was awarded the prestigious Kathryn A. Day Miller Research Fellowship at UC Berkeley! After graduating from Caltech, she will conduct postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Prof. John Hartwig. Congratulations Molly! 

Max named a 2022 ACS Polymers Au Rising Star!

Max was named a 2022 ACS Polymers Au Rising Star! Check out the announcement, and read our original contribution to this special issue by Stella, Ross, and Anna here.

Our latest paper was published in JACS! Congrats to Molly, Skylar, and Yan!

Congrats to Molly and coauthors Skylar and Yan on their latest publication appearing in JACS! We show that mechanical force enables an anomolous dual ring-opening reaction of naphthodipyran to generate an unusual dimerocyanine dye with near-IR absorption. Read the paper here, and check out a Research Highlight in Nature Synthesis here. We even wrote a little poem about it:

Naphthodipyran.

Two paths diverge, one old of light and one of force anew.

Though light can open only one ring, force pries open two!

Our latest paper was published in ACS Polymers Au! Congrats to Stella, Ross, and Anna!

Congrats to Stella and coauthors Ross and Anna on their latest publication in ACS Polymers Au! We highlight the significant difference in mechanochemical reactivity between furan-maleimide and anthracene-maleimide mechanophores, despite similar reactivity predicted by CoGEF calculations. Read more about it here! 

Anna awarded Barbara J. Burger Graduate Fellowship!

Congratulations to Anna who was awarded the 2022-23 Barbara J. Burger Graduate Fellowship! 

Anna's paper featured on the front cover of ACS Macro Letters!

Anna's recent paper was featured on the front cover of the June issue of ACS Macro Letters! Check it out here.

The Robb Group welcomes Amgen Scholar Liam Ordner!

We are excited to welcome Liam Ordner this summer as an Amgen Scholar! Liam joins us from Georgia Tech where he has been working in the Gutekunst Group. 

Jolly named a 2022 John Stauffer SURF Fellow!

Congratulations to Jolly Patro on being named a 2022 John Stauffer SURF Fellow at Caltech! 

Our latest paper was published in ACS Macro Letters! Congrats, Corey!

Congratulations to Corey and Xiaoran on their latest publication appearing in ACS Macro Letters! We describe a new mechanophore design that enables the effiecient release of cargo molecules in aprotic environments. Read more here.

Our latest paper was published in ACS Macro Letters! Congrats, Anna!

Anna's paper examining how mechanophore activity influences the selectivity of mechanochemical chain scission was published today in ACS Macro Lett! Check it out here. 

We wrote about some awesome research from the Moore group!

Ross and Max were excited for the opportunity to highlight recent research from the Moore group on mechanically triggered release of carbon monoxide with turn-on aggregation-induced emission. Check out the highlight here, which was published in the journal Aggregate.

Max receives 2022 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award!

Max was named a 2022 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar! Many thanks to the Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation for this incredible honor and to the extraordinarily talented members of the Robb group that made it possible! Link here.

Max selected as an ORGN Academic Young Investigator!

Max was selected to speak in the Academic Young Investigators Syposium held by the Organic Division of the American Chemical Society at the upcoming fall ACS meeting in Chicago. The symposium will feature pre-tenure professors and will "highlight the vitality of research in the field of organic chemistry."

Max receives 2022 PMSE Young Investigator Award!

Max was selected as a 2022 PMSE Young Investigator!  He will present a lecture during the fall ACS meeting in the PMSE Young Investigator Symposium, which is a forum to highlight the professional accomplishments of early-career investigators who are emerging as leaders in the field of polymer science and engineering. Link here.

The group receives a NSF CAREER Award!

Quite the exciting day!  We also received the official award notice for a NSF CAREER award (CHE-2145791) that will support our research on naphthopyran mechanochemistry as well as a number of educational initiatives to broaden participation and enable training of undergraduate and graduate students. Props to students Molly and Skylar who contributed significantly to the proposal! Link here.

Max receives 2022 Sloan Research Fellowship!

Max was selected as a 2022 Sloan Research Fellow! Many thanks to the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for this tremendous honor and to the hard work and creativity of the Robb group for making it possible! Link here.

Our latest paper was published in Macromolecules! Congrats to Anna and Molly!

Congratulations to Anna and Molly for their recent paper published in Macromolecules! We systematically investigated different methods of characterizing activation rates for scissile mechanophores and provide insight into the role of molecular weight dispersity on ultrasound-induced mechanophore activation. Read more about it here!

Our latest paper was published in JACS! Congrats to Brooke, May, and Xiaoran!

Out now in JACS, we provide our perspective on the development of mechanophores for molecular release and the future of this exciting research area. Congratulations to Brooke and coauthors May + Xiaoran for leading the effort! Check it out here.

Welcome to new graduate students Debbie and Yan!

We are excited to welcome first year graduate students Yu-Ling (Debbie) Tseng and Yan Sun to the Robb group! Debbie recently earned a M.S. in Chemistry from National Taiwan University and Yan earned a B.S. in Chemistry from SUSTech (Shenzhen, China). Welcome aboard!

Our latest paper was published in Chemical Communications! Congrats to May and Xiaoran!

Congratulations to May and Xiaoran on their latest publication in ChemComm! We report a readily synthesized mechanophore enabling the efficient mechanically triggered release of phenol and arylamine molecular payloads. Read more about it here.

The Robb group welcomes Dr. Peng Liu!

A warm welcome to our newest postdoc, Dr. Peng Liu!  Peng earned his PhD in 2020 from the University of Fribourg working with Prof. Andreas Kilbinger.  He joins us after a brief stay as a postdoc with Profs. Nico Bruns, Chris Weder, and Michael Mayer where he got a head start honing his polymer mechanochemistry skills.  Welcome to Caltech, Peng!

Our latest paper was published in Chemical Science! Way to go, Ross!

Our latest publication appears in Chemical Science! We demonstrate a new highly modular and synthetically accessible mechanophore platform that enables mechanically gated photoswitching in solution and in solid polymeric materials. Congrats, Ross! Check it out here.

Our latest paper was published in ACS Central Science! Congrats to Xiaoran, May, and Corey!

Check out our latest research on mechanically triggered release published today in ACS Central Science!  We develop key structure–activity relationships for 2-furylcarbinol derivatives that enable the mechanically triggered release of functionally diverse molecular cargo. Congratulations to Xiaoran, May, and Corey! Link to the paper here.

Our latest paper was published in the Journal of Polymer Science! Congrats to Skylar and Molly!

Congratulations to Skylar and Molly on their paper published today in the Journal of Polymer Science! We demonstrate the impact of isomerism on the reactivity and properties of naphthopyran mechanophores. Hats off to Skylar on her first paper and in her first year to boot! Check it out here.

Jolly awarded the 2020 Renuka D. Sharma Prize!

Congratulations to Jolly on receiving the 2020 Renuka D. Sharma Prize recognizing outstanding performance during a student's freshman year at Caltech! We are proud of you, Jolly!

Our latest paper was accepted in JACS! Congrats, Molly!

Congratulations to Molly on her communication just accepted in JACS! Molly discovered a unique mechanochemical reaction of a 2H-naphthopyran mechanophore that generates a persistent merocyanine dye. Check it out here.

Brooke Receives the RSC Student Prize Award!

Brooke received the RSC Student Prize Award for her presentation at the spring ACS national meeting in the Fundamentals of Polymer Mechanics symposium! Congratulations, Brooke!

Molly Presents in Excellence in Graduate Polymer Research Symposium!

Molly was invited to present her research in the Excellence in Graduate Polymer Research symposium at the spring ACS meeting! She was also one of four recipients of an additional recognition from Wiley!  Congratulations, Molly!

The Robb Group Says Farewell to Dr. Xiaoran Hu

We said farewell to the longest serving member of the Robb group, Dr. Xiaoran Hu. Good luck in your next adventure at Cornell University!

The Robb group welcomes two new graduate students!

A very warm welcome to Meng (Stella) Luo and Skylar Osler; We are excited for you to join the team!

Molly receives Barbara J. Burger Graduate Fellowship!

Congratulations to Molly who was recently awarded the 2020 Barbara J. Burger Graduate Fellowship!  Way to go, Molly!

Our latest paper was published in JACS!

Congratulations to Isabel and Corey, David, and Nick on their recent publication in JACS!  We took a deep dive into using the CoGEF computational method for predicting mechanochemical reactivity.  Also, our group's first paper with undergraduate coauthors!  Check it out here.

Brooke receives Eli Lilly Travel Award from the ACS Women Chemists Committee!

Congratulations to Brooke on receiving the Eli Lilly Travel Award from the ACS Women Chemists Committee to attend an upcoming ACS national meeting!

Molly's undergraduate research published in Nature!

Congratulations to Molly whose undergraduate research culminated in a coauthored paper published today in Nature!  Read about it out here.

We received a grant from the ACS PRF!

More good news!  We are grateful to the ACS Petroleum Research Fund for supporting our research with a 2020 Doctoral New Investigator grant!

Max receives 2020 Beckman Young Investigator Award!

We are incredibly grateful to the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation for supporting our research on mechanically triggered molecular release!

Our latest paper was accepted in Chemical Science! Congratulations to Brooke, Molly, and Corey!

Congratulations to Brooke, Molly, and Corey on their latest paper, which was recently accepted in Chemical Science!  "Designing Naphthopyran Mechanophores with Tunable Mechanochromic Behavior." Check it out here.

Congratulations Corey!

Congratulations to Corey for successfully passing his candidacy exam today!  The Robb group went 5 for 5 this year.  Way to go, everyone!

Congratulations Anna!

Congratulations to Anna for successfully passing her candidacy exam today!  This was also the Robb group's first virtual candidacy exam.  Well done, Anna!

Congratulations May and Brooke!

Congratulations to this week's newest PhD candidates May and Brooke!

Congratulations Isabel!

Congratulations to Isabel on successfully passing her candidacy exam today!

Welcome Jolly!

The Robb Group welcomes Jolly Patro to the group as an undergraduate researcher!

Welcome Joel!

The Robb Group welcomes incoming graduate student Joel Monroy who will be rotating with us this quarter!  Joel comes to Caltech with a BS in Chemistry from Cal State Long Beach where he was a NIH MARC U*STAR Scholar.

Molly wins poster award!

Congratulations to Molly for winning a poster award at our annual CCE Seminar Day!

Our recent paper was highlighted in JACS Spotlights!

Many thanks to Deirdre Lockwood for highlighting our recent paper on mechanically triggered small molecule release in this week's JACS Spotlights!  "Small-Molecule Delivery at the Push of a Chemical Button."  Read it here.

Our latest paper was accepted in JACS! Congratulations to Xiaoran, May, and Corey!

Congratulations to Xiaoran, May, and Corey on their latest paper, which was recently accepted in JACS!  "Mechanically Triggered Small Molecule Release from a Masked Furfuryl Carbonate." Access it online here.

Molly's paper accepted in JACS!

Congratulations to Molly on her latest (and first 1st-author) paper, which was recently accepted in JACS!  "Force-Dependent Multicolor Mechanochromism from a Single Mechanophore." Access it online here.

Ross, Molly, and Xiaoran publish in Synlett!

Congratulations to Ross, Molly, and Xiaoran on their recent Synpacts publication in Synlett!  Check it out to learn more about polymer mechanochemistry and our work on mechanically gated photoswitching (PDF).  Article online here.

Congratulations Molly!

Congratulations to Molly on successfully passing her candidacy exam today!  The Robb Group now has TWO PhD candidates!

Congratulations Ross!

Congratulations to Ross on successfully passing his candidacy exam today!  The first PhD candidate of the Robb Group!

Welcome New Graduate Students!

The Robb group officially welcomes first year graduate students Corey Husic, Isabel Klein, Anna Overholts, Brooke Versaw, and Tian (May) Zeng!  Isabel will be working jointly with the Cushing group.  Welcome aboard everyone!

Max Receives CGSC Teaching Award!

Max was presented with the 2017-18 GSC Teaching Award!  This annual award is given by the Caltech Graduate Student Council and recognizes a Caltech faculty member for excellence in teaching.

Welcome May, Corey, and Zack!

The Robb Group welcomes incoming graduate students Tian (May) Zeng, Corey Husic, and Zachary Sercel who will be rotating this quarter!  May joins Caltech after earning a BS in Chemistry from UC San Diego (working with Prof. Keary Engle at Scripps).  Corey comes to us from Harvard University with an AB in Chemistry (working with Prof. George Whitesides).  Zack comes to Caltech with a BS in Chemistry from Cal State LA (working with Prof. Brian Stoltz at Caltech).

Feel The Force!

Our recent paper on mechanochemically gated photoswitching was highlighted in Nature Reviews Chemistry!  "Feel the force" by D. Schilter. Nature Rev. Chem. 2018, 2, 331.

We Published Our First Paper!

The Robb Group just published our first paper!  Congratulations to Xiaoran, Molly, and Ross for their communication on mechanochemically gated photoswitching in JACS!  #feeltheforce #revealtheforce

Welcome Anna and Michael!

The Robb Group welcomes incoming graduate students Anna Overholts and Michael Daugherty who will be rotating this quarter!  Anna joins Caltech after earning a BA in Chemistry from Cornell University (working with Prof. Geoff Coates).  Michael comes to us from Northwestern University with a BA in Chemistry and Environmental Science (working with Prof. Will Dichtel).

Welcome Isabel!

The Robb Group welcomes incoming graduate student Isabel Klein who will be getting a head start on research this summer!  Isabel joins Caltech after earning a BA in Chemistry from Barnard College of Columbia University.

New Lab Photos!

Check out the Robb Lab!  Some new photos are now posted.

Welcome Brooke!

The Robb Group welcomes incoming graduate student Brooke Versaw who will be getting a head start on research this summer!  Brooke joins Caltech after earning a BS in Chemistry from Texas A&M (with Prof. Karen Wooley).

Welcome David and Nick!

The Robb Group welcomes undergraduate students David Kovacs (University of Cambridge) and Nick Choquette (Caltech) who will be performing research with us this summer!

Molly Awarded NSF Fellowship!

Congratulations to G1 Molly McFadden who was recently awarded a NSF Graduate Research Fellowship!

Our New Labs are Finished!

The Robb Group has officially moved into our new laboratory!  Check out some photos here.

Welcome Chelsea!

The Robb Group officially welcomes G1 Chelsea Edwards (Chemical Engineering) who will be working in collaboration with the Shapiro Group!

Welcome Chelsea!

The Robb Group welcomes Chelsea Edwards (Chemical Engineering) who will be rotating in the lab this quarter!

Welcome Molly and Ross!

The Robb Group welcomes new graduate students Molly and Ross!

Max selected as a Thieme Chemistry Journal Awardee for 2018!

Max was selected as a Thieme Chemistry Journal Awardee for 2018!  Many thanks to the editorial boards of Synlett, Synthesis, and Synfacts for this recognition!

Welcome Xiaoran!

The Robb Group welcomes postdoctoral scholar Xiaoran Hu!  He joins us after completing his PhD with Prof. Samuel Thomas at Tufts University.

Renovations in Full Swing!

Our new student offices are finished and lab renovations are moving full speed ahead!  Boxes are arriving in droves.  Looking forward to doing some chemistry!  Photos

Ch 144b - Advanced Organic Chemistry

Max will teach Ch 144b this fall!  Sign up!

New Website!

Welcome to the Robb Group Website!  Stay tuned for updates.

The Robb Group is coming to Caltech!

Max will be starting as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry this fall!