Research

I have over 8 years of experience in academic and national research labs as a chemist. I’ve worked on almost everything in the materials space, starting from the gold nanoparticles that first introduced me to research in high school at a summer research camp.

Since then, I’ve also worked on

  • dyes for solar cells (The Ohio State University)
  • cross-coupling methods for incorporating molecular switches into semiconducting polymers (Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel)
  • low-dimensional organic-inorganic chalcogenide semiconductors (Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab)
  • cross-linked polymers (Northwestern University)
  • micropollutant removal and destruction (Northwestern University)
I have extensive experience in
  • organic synthesis (including air-free Schlenk and glovebox techniques)
  • organic characterization (1D and 2D NMR, fluorine NMR, MALDI-MS, ESI-MS, FTIR, elemental analysis)
  • quantitative analytical techniques, especially for low-concentration samples (including GCMS, HPLC-MS, ICP, ion chromatography, etc.)
  • micropollutant adsorption
  • working with PFAS compounds and fluorides

Research Publications

8. Brittany Trang*, Yuli Li*, Xiao-Song Xue, Mohamed Ateia, K.N. Houk, William R. Dichtel. Low-temperature mineralization of perfluorocarboxylic acids. Science, 377, 839–845 (2022). (DOI: 10.1126/science.abm8868) (see DRG website for free access link)

7. Ri Wang*, Zhi-Wei Lin*, Max J. Klemes*, Mohamed Ateia, Brittany Trang, Jieyuan Wang, Casey Ching, Damian E. Helbling, and William R. Dichtel. A Tunable Porous β-Cyclodextrin Polymer Platform to Understand and Improve Anionic PFAS Removal. ACS Cent. Sci. 2022, 8, 5, 663–669. (DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.2c00478)

6. Casey Ching, Yuhan Ling, Brittany Trang, Max Klemes, Leilei Xiao, Anna Yang, Gokhan Barin, William R. Dichtel, Damian E. Helbling. Identifying the physicochemical properties of β-cyclodextrin polymers that determine the adsorption of perfluoroalkyl acids. Water Res., Volume 209, 2022, 117938, ISSN 0043-1354 (DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117938.)

5.  Max J. Klemes, Luke P. Skala, Mohamed Ateia, Brittany Trang, Damian E. Helbling, and William R. Dichtel. Polymerized Molecular Receptors as Adsorbents to Remove Micropollutants from Water. Acc. Chem. Res. 2020, 53, 10, 2314–2324 (DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.0c00426)

4.  Casey Ching, Max J. Klemes, Brittany Trang, William R. Dichtel, and Damian E. Helbling. β-Cyclodextrin Polymers with Different Cross-Linkers and Ion-Exchange Resins Exhibit Variable Adsorption of Anionic, Zwitterionic, and Nonionic PFASs. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2020, 54, 19, 12693–12702 (DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c04028)

3.  Congyue Wu, Max J. Klemes, Brittany Trang, William R. Dichtel, Damian E. Helbling. Exploring the factors that influence the adsorption of anionic PFAS on conventional and emerging adsorbents in aquatic matrices. Wat. Res., 2020, 182, 115950 (DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115950)

2.  Brittany Trang, Matthew Yeung, Derek C. Popple, Elyse A. Schriber, Michael A. Brady, Tevye R. Kuykendall, and J. Nathan Hohman. Tarnishing Silver Metal into Mithrene. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2018, 140 (42), 13892-13903 (DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b08878)

1.  Mingzhe Yu, William David McCulloch, Zhongjie Huang, Brittany B Trang, Jun Lu, Khalil Amine and Yiying Wu. Solar-Powered Electrochemical Energy Storage: an Alternative to Solar Fuels. J. Mater. Chem. A, 2016, 4, 2766-2782 (DOI: 10.1039/C5TA06950E)