Tobin J. Marks
· Vladimir N. Ipatieff Professor of Catalytic Chemistry and Chemical and Biological Engineering and (by courtesy) Materials Science and EngineeringVerifiedNorthwestern University · Chemical Engineering
Active 1966–2026
About
Tobin J. Marks is the Vladimir N. Ipatieff Professor of Catalytic Chemistry and Chemical and Biological Engineering at Northwestern University, with a courtesy appointment in Materials Science and Engineering. His research focuses on catalysis, materials chemistry, and the development of advanced materials for energy and environmental applications. Marks has made significant contributions to the understanding of catalytic processes and the design of new catalytic materials, impacting various aspects of society and daily life. He has received numerous prestigious awards and honors, including the 2017 Priestlel Medal from the American Chemical Society, election to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 1993, and fellowship in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His recognition also includes international medals and awards from various chemical societies, reflecting his influential role in the field of chemistry and materials science.
Research topics
- Materials science
- Chemistry
- Organic chemistry
- Nanotechnology
- Optoelectronics
- Composite material
- Electrical engineering
- Photochemistry
- Polymer chemistry
- Crystallography
- Computer Science
- Chemical engineering
- Physical chemistry
- Engineering
- Medicinal chemistry
- Metallurgy
- Physics
Selected publications
ChemRxiv · 2026-02-18
articleOpen accessMetal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have drawn broad interest because of their structural versatility and tunable properties. However, sustainable routes to MOF synthesis from low-cost feedstocks, particularly plastic waste, remain largely underexplored. In this report, we present a greener and economical strategy for Cu-based MOF synthesis using terephthalic acid (TPA) obtained from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) under mild, environmentally benign conditions. PET is first directly converted into crystalline TPA (= pTPA ) and ethylene gas via a solvent-free catalytic process, employing a recoverable carbon-supported single-site molybdenum-dioxo catalyst (AC/MoO₂). Compared with conventional alkaline depolymerization, this approach provides a simpler and more sustainable route to TPA feedstocks by eliminating post-depolymerization acidification, solvent-intensive ethylene glycol recovery and salt-waste generation. Next, quantitative room-temperature electrosynthesis of the pTPA –Cu MOF was achieved within 90 min, by using copper foil as sacrificial electrodes, enabling controlled Cu 2+ generation and rapid framework formation under mild conditions. In contrast to conventional solvothermal synthesis, our approach enables waste-minimized and environmentally benign MOF production. Remarkably, electrochemical synthesis of pTPA –Cu MOF remains efficient with recovered electrolyte, enabling continuous, controllable production that minimizes solvent and metal waste. The pTPA –Cu MOF exhibited dose-dependent inhibition of fungal growth, pigmentation and sporulation in A. flavipes and A. fumigatus , highlighting plastic waste upcycling as a sustainable platform for the generation of functional antifungal materials.
Advanced Science · 2025-10-07 · 3 citations
articleOpen accessAbstract Two‐dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) such as tungsten diselenide (WSe 2 ) are attractive nanomaterials for quantum information applications due to single‐photon emission (SPE) from intrinsic atomic defects. Defect and strain engineering techniques have been developed to produce high purity, deterministically placed SPE in WSe 2 . However, a major challenge in the application of these techniques is the low temperature required to observe defect‐bound TMD exciton emission, typically limiting SPE to T < 30 K. SPE at higher temperatures either loses purity or requires integration into complex devices such as optical cavities. Here, 2D heterostructure engineering and molecular functionalization are combined to achieve high purity (>90%) SPE in strained WSe 2 persisting to over T = 90 K. Covalent diazonium functionalization of graphite in layered WSe 2 /graphite heterostructures maintains high purity up to T = 90 K and single‐photon source integrity up to T = 115 K. This method preserves the best qualities of SPE from WSe 2 while increasing working temperature to more than three times the typical range. This work demonstrates the versatility of surface functionalization and heterostructure design to synergistically improve the properties of quantum emission and offers new insights into the phenomenon of SPE from 2D materials.
Silver Copper Oxide: A p-Type Transparent Conductive Oxide?
ACS Applied Energy Materials · 2025-10-29 · 1 citations
articleIn this study, we report the room-temperature synthesis, detailed characterization, and first-principles modeling of monoclinic AgCuO2, a p-type transparent conducting oxide (TCO) candidate. AgCuO2 was synthesized via an oxidative coprecipitation method using Ag(I) and Cu(II) precursors in the presence of potassium persulfate as an oxidizing agent. Structural and morphological analyses, including powder X-ray diffraction, Rietveld refinement, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy, confirm the formation of a highly crystalline crednerite-type phase with minimal CuO impurity. Optical spectroscopy, combined with Kelvin probe, surface photovoltage spectroscopy, and UV photoemission measurements, reveals a direct optical bandgap of ∼2.5 eV and a Fermi level close to the valence band maximum, indicative of p-type semiconductor behavior. Importantly, the ambiguity of whether AgCuO2 is metallic or a semiconductor was resolved in the present study both by experiment and theory. Complementary electrochemical analyses demonstrated quasi-reversible redox activity and stability of the AgCuO2 surface, while conductivity measurements provided insight into the charge transport mechanism. Density functional theory (DFT + U) calculations corroborated the experimental findings, predicting a layered structure with Cu in a +3 oxidation state and revealing that Ag vacancy defects could enhance electrical conductivity without compromising optical transparency. This integrated experimental and computational approach establishes AgCuO2 as an electronically conductive, optically transparent, and electrochemically robust TCO candidate with potential for optoelectronic, photoelectrochemical, or solar photovoltaic applications.
ArXiv.org · 2025-09-05
preprintOpen accessVanadyl phthalocyanine (VOPc) is a promising organic molecule for applications in quantum information because of its thermal stability, efficient processing, and potential as a spin qubit. The deposition of VOPc in different molecular orientations allows the properties to be customized for integration into various devices. However, such customization has yet to be fully leveraged to alter its intrinsic properties, particularly optical emission. Normally, VOPc films on dielectric substrates emit a broad photoluminescence peak in the near-infrared range, attributed to transitions in the Pc ring from its pi orbital structure. In this work, we demonstrate that the dominant optical transition of VOPc can be shifted by over 250 meV through the controlled deposition of thin films on van der Waals material substrates. The weak interactions with van der Waals materials allow the molecules to uniquely self-assemble, resulting in modified optical behavior modulated by molecular phase and thickness. This work connects the self-assembling properties of molecules with their altered electronic structures and the resulting optical emission.
Advanced Materials · 2025-03-17 · 17 citations
articleOpen accessCorrespondingAbstract A nature‐inspired fabrication method based on a photolithography‐free flexible polymer grid is reported for high‐resolution pixelation of perovskite photodiode arrays with exceptional mechanical ductility and a morphology resembling that of natural compound eyes. The resulting pixelated perovskite photosensitive layer has a ≈1 µm pixel size with 2000 Pixels per inch (PPI) resolution when fully assembled as a photodetector array, delivering a detectivity of >10 13 Jones while providing cross‐talk free imaging. Using a polymer grid effectively releases stress on the perovskite platform, greatly increasing the mechanical agility of the otherwise brittle perovskite film. This novel fabrication methodology and device design offer new possibilities for applications in robotics, biomedical imaging, and virtual and augmented reality.
Journal of Catalysis · 2025-07-19
erratumOpen accessCorrespondingApplied Catalysis A General · 2025-09-15
articleAngewandte Chemie · 2025-09-26
articleOpen accessSenior authorCorrespondingAbstract Efficient, selective, and environmentally benign catalytic nitrile synthesis is attractive for pharmaceuticals, specialty chemicals and materials, and large‐scale industrial applications. In this regard, metal‐catalyzed silylative conversion of primary amides to nitriles is emerging as a promising approach. This contribution reports the utilization of readily available lanthanide‐organic amido precatalysts, Ln[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 3 , Ln = lanthanide, to selectively convert primary alkyl and aryl/heterocyclic amides having diverse functional groups to nitriles, including pharma building blocks, in high yields using the silane reagents PhSiH 3 and TMS‐O‐[Si(H)(Me)‐O‐] n ‐TMS in a solvent‐free process. Kinetic and mechanistic data reveal the role of lanthanide amidates as the catalytically‐active species, while DFT analysis indicates a catalytic pathway unlike that found in transition metal complex‐catalyzed processes. Thus, the lanthanide amidate resting state actively participates in the catalysis, where rate‐determining bound amidate silylation is activated by the metal center and influenced by the bound amidate electronic and steric characteristics. DFT analysis of the catalytic cycle reveals that the relative energies of three intermediate endergonic steps, hence the rate‐determining step, depends on the silane concentration.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition · 2025-09-26
articleOpen accessSenior authorCorrespondingAbstract Efficient, selective, and environmentally benign catalytic nitrile synthesis is attractive for pharmaceuticals, specialty chemicals and materials, and large‐scale industrial applications. In this regard, metal‐catalyzed silylative conversion of primary amides to nitriles is emerging as a promising approach. This contribution reports the utilization of readily available lanthanide‐organic amido precatalysts, Ln[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 3 , Ln = lanthanide, to selectively convert primary alkyl and aryl/heterocyclic amides having diverse functional groups to nitriles, including pharma building blocks, in high yields using the silane reagents PhSiH 3 and TMS‐O‐[Si(H)(Me)‐O‐] n ‐TMS in a solvent‐free process. Kinetic and mechanistic data reveal the role of lanthanide amidates as the catalytically‐active species, while DFT analysis indicates a catalytic pathway unlike that found in transition metal complex‐catalyzed processes. Thus, the lanthanide amidate resting state actively participates in the catalysis, where rate‐determining bound amidate silylation is activated by the metal center and influenced by the bound amidate electronic and steric characteristics. DFT analysis of the catalytic cycle reveals that the relative energies of three intermediate endergonic steps, hence the rate‐determining step, depends on the silane concentration.
Morphotaxial Halogenation of Solution-Processed Two-Dimensional Indium Selenide
Nano Letters · 2025-03-17 · 1 citations
articleOpen accessSenior authorCorrespondingMorphotaxy, a process by which a 2D material is chemically modified while retaining its original physical dimensions, is an emerging strategy for synthesizing unconventional materials at the atomically thin limit. Morphotaxy is typically implemented by vapor-phase reactions on mechanically exfoliated or vapor-deposited 2D van der Waals (vdW) materials. Here we report a method for converting solution-processed films of 2D InSe into InI2 and InBr2 using dilute I2 and Br2 solutions, respectively. The converted materials retain the physical dimensions of the original 2D flakes, providing access to non-vdW indium halides in ultrathin form. Liquid-phase exfoliation directly enables this morphotaxial reaction by producing nanosheets with high surface areas and introducing residual polyvinylpyrrolidone that stabilizes the flake morphology and slows the reactivity of I2 and Br2. Overall, this work presents a versatile strategy for achieving atomically thin metal halides and offers mechanistic insights relevant to the morphotaxial halogenation of other solution-processed 2D materials.
Recent grants
MRI: Acquisition of a Time-of-Flight GC-Mass Spectrometer
NSF · $202k · 2009–2012
NSF · $600k · 2012–2015
Synthetic, Mechanistic, and Catalytic f-Element Organometallic Chemistry
NSF · $575k · 2004–2008
Synthetic, Mechanistic, and Catalytic Studies of Electrophilic d- and f-Element Complexes
NSF · $636k · 2019–2023
NSF · $600k · 2015–2019
Frequent coauthors
- 777 shared
Antonio Facchetti
Georgia Institute of Technology
- 215 shared
Mark A. Ratner
Theralogix (United States)
- 214 shared
Mark C. Hersam
Northwestern University
- 134 shared
Michael R. Wasielewski
Northwestern University
- 123 shared
Charlotte L. Stern
Northwestern University
- 114 shared
Massimiliano Delferro
Argonne National Laboratory
- 113 shared
Wei Huang
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
- 109 shared
Lin X. Chen
Northwestern University
Labs
Marks, Tobin J. LaboratoryPI
Awards & honors
- Priestlel Medal from American Chemical Society (2017)
- Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2017)
- Honorary Fellow of the Chemical Research Society of India (2…
- United States Medal of Science (2005)
- Frankland Medal of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) (2003…
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