About

Jeffrey R. Long is the C. Judson King Endowed Chair in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and a Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on inorganic and materials chemistry, specifically the synthesis of inorganic molecules and higher dimensional solids, with an emphasis on tailoring their chemical and physical properties. His work includes gas storage, molecular separations, catalysis in porous materials, and magnetic and conductive materials. Long's group designs and synthesizes novel inorganic materials and molecules to understand new physical phenomena and develop applications in gas storage, separations, conductivity, catalysis, and magnetism. A major area of his research involves the design and study of metal–organic frameworks—porous, inorganic solids built of metal nodes connected by organic linkers—aimed at applications such as gas storage, molecular separations, catalysis, and battery technologies. His group investigates frameworks with high CO2 separation capacities, polarizing open metal sites, and shape-discriminating pore structures to enhance binding and separation of gases like H2, CH4, and hydrocarbons. Long's research also explores the use of these frameworks in developing membranes for natural gas purification and olefin/paraffin separations. In addition, Long's group studies metal–organic frameworks as catalysts with isolated active sites and explores post-synthetic modifications to create conductive materials for batteries and sensors. His work in molecular magnetism involves designing molecules with strong magnetic anisotropy and phenomena such as magnetic hysteresis, with applications in information storage and quantum computing. He focuses on synthesizing multinuclear, radical-bridged molecules incorporating lanthanides and transition metals to achieve higher operating temperatures for single-molecule magnets, and also develops molecules with transition metals like iron and cobalt. His research aims to advance fundamental understanding and practical applications of inorganic and magnetic materials.

Research topics

• Chemistry
• Materials science
• Nanotechnology
• Computer Science
• Physics
• Organic chemistry
• Chemical engineering
• Composite material
• Engineering
• Physical chemistry
• Thermodynamics
• Chemical physics
• Condensed matter physics
• Crystallography
• Inorganic chemistry
• Metallurgy

Selected publications

• Mechanistic Studies of Oxidative Degradation in Diamine-Appended Metal–Organic Frameworks Exhibiting Cooperative CO2 Capture

  ChemRxiv · 2025-05-14 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  Understanding the impact of O2 during a carbon capture process is vital for designing robust, cost-effective materials for carrying it out. However, mechanistic studies of the O2-induced degradation of materials are not easily undertaken owing to the complex sequential reaction pathways that arise. Here, we report comprehensive mechanistic investigations of the O2-induced degradation of diamine-appended metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibiting cooperative CO2 adsorption. Oxygen exposure experiments were performed on seven different diamine-appended MOFs, includ-ing e-2–Mg2(dobpdc) (e-2 = N-ethylethylenediamine, dobpdc4− = 4,4′-dioxidobiphenyl-3,3′-dicarboxylate), under various temperatures and O2 pressures. These experiments show that diamine degradation inhibits CO2 chemisorption, and that the degradation rate is significantly influenced by the diamine structure. In contrast, the parent frame-works remain essentially intact upon O2 exposure. Detailed characterization of O2-exposed e-2–Mg2(dobpdc) revealed the formation of various degradation products, including acetaldehyde, carbon dioxide, water, ethylamine, and other aldehyde- and imine-containing species. Together, these observations suggest that diamine degradation occurs via C–N bond cleavage through pathways involving C-centered radicals. Furthermore, computational evaluation of the initiation and propagation pathways for amine degradation in diamine-appended MOFs indicates that: (i) degradation is likely initiated by OH•, (ii) carbon-centered radicals generated via radical transfer reactions react with O2, leading to amine degradation, and (iii) the rate-limiting step of the degradation reactions likely involves O–O bond cleavage. Overall, these mechanistic insights could inform strategies for mitigating O2-induced amine degradation in next-generation carbon capture technologies.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Electrodeposition of Magnonic V(tetracyanoethylene)₂ Thin Films

  Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2025-05-20 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Molecule-based magnetic materials have been identified as promising candidates for application in magnonic technologies, owing not only to their solution processability but also because they can exhibit narrow ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) linewidths and low Gilbert damping coefficients─crucial prerequisites for the transmission of coherent magnons over macroscopic distances. In particular, V(TCNE)2, a compound with a three-dimensional network structure composed of vanadium(II) centers linked by tetracyanoethylene (TCNE•–) radical anions, displays magnonic properties comparable to yttrium iron garnet, the quintessential magnonic material in the field. However, existing solution and chemical vapor deposition methods for synthesizing V(TCNE)2 require the use of highly reactive zero-valent molecular vanadium precursors, stymying research on this important material. Herein, we report a facile electrochemical method for the deposition of thin films of V(TCNE)2 using readily obtainable and stable divalent vanadium precursors and TCNE•– anions generated by electrochemical reduction. Magnetization measurements reveal that the films exhibit ferrimagnetic ordering above room temperature, consistent with V(TCNE)2 films synthesized via other methods. Moreover, the electrodeposited films exhibit narrow FMR linewidths as low as 17.5 G and a low Gilbert damping coefficient of 1.1 × 10–3, values that are on par with some currently integrated metallic magnonic materials. More generally, these results demonstrate that electrodeposition can provide a straightforward means of generating high-performance magnonic materials using readily available molecular precursors.

  PublisherDOI

• Aryl Acid-Alcohol Cross-Coupling: C(sp³)–C(sp²) Bond Formation from Nontraditional Precursors

  Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2025-04-23 · 14 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  Alcohols and aryl carboxylic acids are among the most commercially abundant, synthetically versatile, and operationally convenient building blocks in organic chemistry. Despite their widespread availability, the direct formation of C(sp3)–C(sp2) bonds from these functional groups remains a challenge. Recently, our group developed robust protocols to harness alcohols as alkyl radical precursors, but the activation of aryl acids remains relatively unexplored. Herein, we describe the merger of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-mediated deoxygenation and nickel-mediated decarbonylation of aryl acids toward C(sp3)–C(sp2) bond formation. The utility of this method is demonstrated through the synthesis of a diverse range of aryl–alkyl cross-coupled products and the late-stage functionalization of complex molecules, including drugs, natural products, and biomolecules.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Machine learning-assisted design of metal–organic frameworks for hydrogen storage: A high-throughput screening and experimental approach

  Chemical Engineering Journal · 2025-02-17 · 17 citations

  articleOpen access

  • MOF databases and ML techniques identify synthesizable MOF structures. • High-throughput screening finds promising MOF structures for hydrogen storage. • New vanadium-based MOF (V 3 (PET)) shows the high H 2 storage performance. • V 3 (PET) remains stable over 100 adsorption cycles. • ML accelerates discovery of efficient hydrogen storage materials. Various theoretical approaches, including big data and high-throughput screening techniques, have been explored in developing new materials due to their significant potential time-saving advantages. However, it remains a significant challenge to experimentally realize new materials that are predicted. In this study, we propose a novel materials design strategy that utilizes machine-learning (ML) techniques to predict new porous materials that show promise for hydrogen storage and are likely to be feasible to synthesize. By leveraging ML techniques and metal–organic framework (MOF) databases, we are able to predict the synthesizability of MOF structures. This is evidenced by the successful synthesis of a new vanadium-based MOF that exhibits excellent performance for cryogenic H 2 storage. Notably, the total gravimetric and volumetric H 2 uptakes are as high as 9.0 wt% and 50.0 g/L at 77 K and 150 bar. This ML-assisted materials design offers an efficient and promising approach for developing hydrogen storage materials.

  PublisherDOI

• Hydrogen Storage in Flexible Frameworks

  Structural Dynamics · 2025-03-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Hydrogen may be useful as carbon-free fuel source, but before hydrogen can be economically adopted at large scales, improved materials for storage are needed. Here we use a combination of high-pressure isothermal hydrogen adsorption measurements and in situ gas dosed powder neutron and X-ray diffraction measurements to thoroughly understand hydrogen-framework interactions in flexible metal–organic framework candidate storage materials. Detailed structure-function studies of ZIF-7 led to the synthesis and realization of greatly improved materials with enhanced useable capacities of stored gas. Along the way, useful gas separations capabilities for these framework materials were discovered, and we demonstrate that one of the materials studied for hydrogen storage also displays record inverse separations factors for propane/propylene separations.

  PublisherDOI

• Mechanistic Studies of Oxidative Degradation in Diamine-Appended Metal–Organic Frameworks Exhibiting Cooperative CO ₂ Capture

  Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2025-07-10 · 5 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Understanding the impact of O2 during a carbon capture process is vital for designing robust, cost-effective materials for carrying it out. However, mechanistic studies of the O2-induced degradation of materials are not easily undertaken owing to the complex sequential reaction pathways that arise. Here, we report comprehensive mechanistic investigations of the O2-induced degradation of diamine-appended metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibiting cooperative CO2 adsorption. Oxygen exposure experiments were performed on seven different diamine-appended MOFs, including e-2–Mg2(dobpdc) (e-2 = N-ethylethylenediamine, dobpdc4– = 4,4′-dioxidobiphenyl-3,3′-dicarboxylate), under various temperatures and O2 pressures. These experiments show that diamine degradation inhibits CO2 chemisorption and that the degradation rate is significantly influenced by the diamine structure. In contrast, the parent frameworks remain essentially intact upon O2 exposure. Detailed characterization of O2-exposed e-2–Mg2(dobpdc) revealed the formation of various degradation products, including acetaldehyde, carbon dioxide, water, ethylamine, and other aldehyde- and imine-containing species. Together, these observations suggest that diamine degradation occurs via C–N bond cleavage through pathways involving C-centered radicals. Furthermore, computational evaluation of the initiation and propagation pathways for amine degradation in diamine-appended MOFs indicates that (i) degradation is likely initiated by OH•, (ii) carbon-centered radicals generated via radical transfer reactions react with O2, leading to amine degradation, and (iii) the rate-limiting step of the degradation reactions likely involves O–O bond cleavage. Overall, these mechanistic insights could inform strategies for mitigating O2-induced amine degradation in next-generation carbon capture technologies.

  PublisherDOI

• Magnetic clusters in the paramagnetic phase of a high-temperature ferromagnetic metal-organic framework

  ArXiv.org · 2025-11-30

  preprintOpen access

  Owing to their exceptional chemical and electronic tunability, metal-organic frameworks can be designed to develop magnetic ground states making a range of applications feasible, from magnetic gas separation to the implementation of lightweight, rare-earth free permanent magnets. However, the typically weak exchange interactions mediated by the diamagnetic organic ligands result in ordering temperatures confined to the cryogenic limit. The itinerant magnetic ground state realized in the chromium-based framework Cr(tri)$_{2}$(CF$_{3}$SO$_{3}$)$_{0.33}$ (Htri, $1H$-$1$,$2$,$3$-triazole) is a remarkable exception to this trend, showing a robust ferromagnetic behavior almost at ambient conditions. Here, we use dc SQUID magnetometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and ferromagnetic resonance to study the magnetic state realized in this material. We highlight several thermally-activated relaxation mechanisms for the nuclear magnetization due to the tendency of electrons towards localization at low temperatures as well as the rotational dynamics of the charge-balancing triflate ions confined within the pores. Most interestingly, we report the development within the paramagnetic regime of mesoscopic magnetic correlated clusters whose slow dynamics in the MHz range are tracked by the nuclear moments, in agreement with the highly unconventional nature of the magnetic transition detected by dc SQUID magnetometry. We discuss the similarity between the clustered phase in the paramagnetic phase and the magnetoelectronic phase segregation leading to colossal magnetoresistance in manganites and cobaltites. These results demonstrate that high-temperature magnetic metal-organic frameworks can serve as a versatile platform for exploring correlated electron phenomena in low-density, chemically tunable materials.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Dy(BC ₄ Ph ₅ )(C ₅ ^<i>i</i> Pr ₅ ): A Heteroleptic Sandwich Complex with Strong Axiality Giving Rise to Magnetic Blocking at 65 K

  Inorganic Chemistry · 2025-11-04 · 1 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Dysprosium sandwich complexes incorporating sterically encumbered cyclic ligands represent a superior class of mononuclear single-molecule magnets. Here, we report the synthesis of the heteroleptic complex Dy(BC4Ph5)(C5iPr5), incorporating one borolide and one cyclopentadienide ligand. Strong axial coordination by both ligands engenders high-temperature single-molecule magnet behavior, with a relaxation barrier of Ueff = 1536(15) cm–1 and a blocking temperature of Tb = 65 K. These values are similar to those of related bis(borolide) complexes yet considerably larger than in a related bis(cyclopentadienide) species, [Dy(C5iPr5)2]+. To understand this trend, we carried out single-crystal X-ray diffraction and computational analyses, which revealed reduced ligand–ligand repulsion in Dy(BC4Ph5)(C5iPr5) versus a related bis(borolide) complex, but with a weaker axial field owing to the cyclopentadienide ligand. This was further understood through calculations of the effective ligand charges across the series. In all, Dy(BC4Ph5)(C5iPr5) operates at one of the highest temperatures among single-molecule magnets, significantly higher than [Dy(C5iPr5)2]+. Although offsetting axial field strength and ligand–ligand repulsions limit Dy(BC4Ph5)(C5iPr5) from surpassing the best single-molecule magnets, these results demonstrate that high-temperature magnetism can be modulated by incorporating ligands with different charges and axiality and suggest that heteroleptic complexes with carefully chosen ligands could operate at still higher temperatures.

  PublisherDOI

• A high-resolution molecular spin-photon interface at telecommunication wavelengths

  Science · 2025-10-02 · 7 citations

  articleCorresponding

  Optically addressable electronic spins in polyatomic molecules are a promising platform for quantum information science, with the potential to enable scalable qubit design and integration through atomistic tunability and nanoscale localization. However, optical state- and site-selection are an open challenge. In this work, we introduce an organo-erbium spin qubit in which narrow (megahertz-scale) optical and spin transitions couple to provide high-resolution access to spin degrees of freedom with telecommunication-frequency light. This spin-photon interface enables demonstration of optical spin polarization and readout that distinguishes between spin states and magnetically inequivalent sites in a molecular crystal. Operation at frequencies compatible with mature photonic and microwave devices provides an opportunity for engineering scalable, integrated molecular spin-optical quantum technologies.

  PublisherDOI

• The veridical Near-Death Experience Scale (vNDE Scale): construction and a first validation with human and artificial raters

  2025-10-02

  articleOpen access

  Introduction: In this study, we describe the construction of the veridical Near-Death Experience Scale (vNDE Scale), a structured instrument for evaluating the evidential strength of perceptions reported during near-death experiences (NDEs), and its first validation by human and artificial raters.Methods: The construction was implemented using a typical Delphi Method. The first draft of the scale was evaluated by 13 experts in NDE, who were asked to suggest revisions and comments within a month for the first round and 20 days for the second round.Results: A general consensus was achieved on the second round on eight criteria related to the timing of the investigation, the medical and physical conditions, the level of third-person verification, and the number, type, and quality of perceptions reported by the near-death experiencer, to be rated on a four-level Likert scale. The validation phase consisted of the application of the vNDE Scale to 17 cases of potentially veridical NDEs by 11 independent human raters and three artificial raters based on Large-Language Models.In 14 of the17 cases (82.3%), the overall agreement between human and artificial judges was over 75%, considering the two close levels of evidence strength, i.e. moderate plus strong, low plus very low, or vice-versa.Discussion: The vNDE Scale is a practical tool for evaluating the evidential strength of perceptions reported by near-death experiencers.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Directed Assembly of Molecular Cluster Magnets

  NSF · $743k · 2006–2011

• Project 2: Conformation and propagation of misfolded forms of tau and Abeta

  NIH · $84.7M · 1997–2026

• A Coordination Chemistry Approach to the Synthesis of Single- Molecule Magnets

  NSF · $712k · 2021–2024

• Conductive Metal-Organic Frameworks

  NSF · $540k · 2016–2019

• A Coordination Chemistry Approach to the Synthesis of Single-Molecule Magnets

  NSF · $450k · 2011–2014

Frequent coauthors

• Christopher R. McNeill

  Monash University

  2916 shared

• Hannah Hamilton

  2916 shared

• Emily A. Carter

  Cornell University

  2916 shared

• Akihiko Kudo

  Tokyo University of Science

  2916 shared

• Shelley D. Minteer

  Missouri University of Science and Technology

  2916 shared

• Xinhe Bao

  Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics

  2916 shared

• Sarah Holmes

  University of Hong Kong

  2916 shared

• Michael R. Wasielewski

  Northwestern University

  2916 shared

Labs

• The Long GroupPI

Awards & honors

• Research Corporation Research Innovation Award (1998)
• Hellman Family Faculty Award (1999)
• Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (2000)
• Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow (2001-2003)
• Wilson Prize (Harvard University, 2002)