Ethan Hill, PhD
Short Bio
Ethan grew up in Colorado Springs, CO at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. He pursued a degree in chemistry from Colorado State University. As a junior and senior, he studied in the Shores group preparing thin film semiconductors and inorganic dye complexes for dye-sensitized solar cell applications. It was here that he found a passion for inorganic chemistry and decided to attend graduate school. He departed the mountainous lands of CO and made his way to the sandy beaches of CA. He obtained a PhD in inorganic chemistry after working in the Borovik group studying non-covalent interactions in high-valent metal-oxo complexes. From here, he left the beaches of southern CA for the "beaches" of Lake Michigan. He completed a postdoc position at the University of Chicago in the Anderson group studying Co and Ni complexes bound to multi-dentate NHC ligands. In 2020 during unprecedented times, the Hill group began at Auburn University.
Education
Bachelor of Science Colorado State University 2011
PhD University of California - Irvine 2016
Professional Experience
Postdoctoral Scholar - University of Chicago 2016-2020
Innovation
Research in the Hill Group focuses on developing new methods to control, stabilize and influence chemistry surrounding transition metal centers. There are two major research directions: metal-ligand cooperative chemistry with non-trigonal phosphorus centers and electric field catalysis using immobilized molecular species on self-assembled monolayers. In the first project, several non-trigonal phosphorus centers have been prepared and coordinated to first-row transition metal centers such as Co, Fe and Zn. We have shown that not only are these non-trigonal phosphines themselves reactive towards polar E-H bonds (OH, NH, SH) but that their metal complexes display a wide range of chemistries as well. These include E-H activation, hydroboration via a ligand-assisted "Lewis-pair" like interaction, and hydro- and aminodefluorination. We continue to explore these exciting reactions and expand the chemistry to other metal centers and new ligand platforms.
The second approach involving electric field chemistry is part of an exciting NSF-funding collaboration with the Ohno Group here at Auburn. We work together to study and quantify electric field strength at charged interfaces using probe molecules imbedded within a self-assembled monolayer (SAM). The Ohno Group provides the crucial interface-specific, sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy technique to characterize these SAM-functionalized electrodes. In conjunction with this, we prepare functionalized SAM-electrodes using metalloporphyrin-based catalysts to study non-Faradaic reactions such as hydrations and deformylations. We have shown that such reactions are sensitive to the applied potential that the metalloporphyrin is subjected to. By combining SFG data and experimental data from catalytic conditions, we aim to describe this systems holistically; both via applied potential and electric field measurements.
Engagement
The Hill Group is heavily invested in bringing the principles of inorganic catalysis to a wide array of audiences. We have participated in outreach events geared towards the public from elementary and middle school, through high school and college, and even to the general public in the Auburn/Opelika region. We have prepared visual and hands-on demos for these outreach activities to inspire the next generation of scientists and also to remind those "more senior" folks about the magic of science and chemistry.
One specific activity includes a module in the popular Summer Science Institute where a module has been developed for select high school students to study the influence of ligand identity with the physical properties of Ni(II) complexes in solution. Students conduct experiments adding ligand solutions to Ni(II) ions and observing changes in color. These color changes then correlate to ligand "strength" and in the end students construct their own spectrochemical series based on these observations.
Another activity is presenting to the general public in the form of Science Pub presentations. Dr. Hill has participated in two separate presentations exploring the role of inorganic catalysis in everyday life. These short, interactive presentations are to engage the general public, mostly adults, in the Auburn/Opelika area by being held at two different local breweries. By taking the science to the people, we hope to engage as much of a local audience as possible and expose them to the role of inorganic catalysis in their life.
