George Christou
University Distinguished Professor & Drago Chair
Research Focus
Synthetic and physical-inorganic chemistry of the transition metals and lanthanides, and applications to coordination chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, and nanoscale magnetic and quantum materials. Christou was a pioneer of the magnetic phenomenon of single-molecule magnetism, the ability of molecules to function as nanoscale magnets. In recent years, his group has worked in various areas, including (i) supramolecular chemistry of magnetic molecules and their resulting quantum physics properties such as exchange-biased quantum tunneling of the magnetization vector, and quantum superposition and entanglement states, properties relevant to new quantum-based technologies; and (ii) ‘bottom-up’ synthesis of ultra-small nanoparticles of important metal oxides as molecular clusters, called ‘molecular nanoparticles’.
Education and Training
1981–1983: NATO Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University (lab of Richard Holm)
1980: NATO Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University (lab of Richard Holm)
1978–1979: Postdoctoral Fellow, Manchester University, UK (lab of C. David Garner)
1974–1977: PhD in Organic Chemistry, Exeter University, UK (lab of H.N. Rydon)
1971–1974: BSc (hons) in Chemistry, Exeter University, UK
Selected Awards
Leadership Mentor Award, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (FSU/UF/LANL) (2021)
ACS Award for Inorganic (2019)
Nyholm Prize for Inorganic Chemistry, Royal Society of Chemistry, UK (2016)
2016 Fellow of the American Chemical Society (2016)
Teacher-Scholar of the Year, University of Florida (2016)
Selected Activities
Scientific Advisory Panel on Nanoscience to the Supreme Court of Canada, 2006
Research Consultant, University of Cyprus Chemistry Department, 2006–present
Chair, Selection Committee, Florida Award of the ACS Southeast region, 2010–present
Co-founder and Co-organizer, North America-Greece-Cyprus Conference (NAGC) 2005–present
Founder and Organizer, Molecular Magnetism in North America (MAGNA) conference, 2019
Selected Publications
Maayan, G.; Gluz, N.; Christou, G. A Bioinspired Soluble Manganese Cluster as a Water-Oxidation Electrocatalyst with Low Overpotential. Nature Catalysis, 2018, 1, 48–54. DOI:10.1038/s41929-017-0004-2
Mitchell, K. J.; Abboud, K. A.; Christou, G. Atomically-precise colloidal nanoparticles of cerium dioxide. Nature Commun. 2017, 8, 1445. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01672-4
Wernsdorfer, W.; Aliaga-Alcalde, N.; Hendrickson, D. N.; Christou, G. Exchange-biased Quantum Tunneling in a Supramolecular Dimer of Single-Molecule Magnets. Nature, 2002, 416, 406–409. DOI:10.1038/416406a