Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
 Education
S.B., Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1985
S.B., Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1985
M.A., Organic Chemistry, Harvard University, 1987
Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, Harvard University, 1991
Contact Information
Dept. of Chem. Engineering
Vanderbilt University
Box 1604, Station B
Nashville, TN 37235
Phone: (615) 936-8431
FAX: (615) 343-7951
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Research
Our work focuses on the assembly of systems whose performance is a direct result of surface effects. These systems include chemical sensors, antifouling coatings, responsive interfaces, and nanoparticle dispersions. A common element in these efforts is a molecular perspective on the structure of species at surfaces as a way to control interfacial behavior. Systems range in complexity from single-atom coatings useful in chemical sensing to polymeric films employed to retard biomolecule adsorption to arrays of immobilized DNA molecules for genetic analyses or programmed multi-particle assembly.
Antifouling coatings. Using both molecular and polymeric approaches, we prepare surfaces that are able to avoid non-specific adsorption process that often lead to losses inactivity when materials are introduced into biological media. We are developing these strategies for enhancing the biological activity of species when tethered to a surface as employed in biological sensing applications. Another effort involves tailoring the strength of adsorption levels towards various biomolecules as a means for enhancing separation processes that are limited in efficacy by non-specific adsorption events that lead to losses in activity.
Chemical sensing. Electrodes modified to expose a monolayer of a less noble metal can provide electrochemical signatures useful in sensing applications. Our efforts are directed toward the integration of such readily fabricated electrodes within microfluidic systems as a means to provide automated measurements of specific analytes.
Magnetic nanoparticle dispersions. Nanoparticles offer a range of useful properties by virtue of their high surface areas and short interparticle separation distances. By chemically tailoring their surfaces, these particles can be prepared so to have desired adsorptive (or non-adsorptive) properties. By employing magnetic materials for the core of the particle assembly, nanoparticle dispersions can be directed to move or be collected while retaining their nanoscopic properties. Their utility for performing separations and mixing in microfluidic systems are under investigation.
DNA at surfaces. Automated DNA synthesis provides an ability to tailor surfaces with DNA strands of readily selectable sequence and at controlled densities. Our efforts with these systems are directed toward providing enhanced methods for performing genetic analyses, particularly in the area of single-nucleotide polymorphism detection. In another direction, we are using DNA as a programmable template on a surface for coding the directed self-assembly of various structures into larger aggregates. Key goals are establishing generic approaches for controlling the assembly of multi-particle and multi-object systems into definable structures for achieving new types of integrated functions.
Selected Publications
Ditsch, A., P. E. Laibinis, D. I. C. Wang, and T. A. Hatton,”Controlled Clustering and Enhanced Stability of Polymer-Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles,” Langmuir 21 (2005): 6006-6018.
Srivastava, P., W. G. Chapman, and P. E. Laibinis, “Odd-even Variations in the Wettability of n-Alkanethiolate Monolayers on Gold by Water and Hexadecane: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study,” Langmuir: in press.
Ditsch, A., S. Lindenmann, P. E. Laibinis, D. I. C. Wang, and T. A Hatton, “High-Gradient Magnetic Separation of Magnetic Nanoclusters,” Ind. Eng. Chem. Research 44 (2005): 6824-6836.
Suh, K. Y., J. Seong, A. Khademhosseini, P. E. Laibinis, and R. Langer, “A Simple Soft Lithographic Route to Fabrication of Poly(ethylene glycol) Microstructures for Protein and Cell Patterning,” Biomaterials 25 (2004): 557-563.
Meagher, R.J., J. Seong, P. E. Laibinis, and A. E. Barron, “A Very Thin Coating for Capillary Zone Electrophoresis of Proteins Based on a Tri(ethylene glycol)-terminated Alkyltrichlorosilane,” Electrophoresis 25 (2004): 405-414.
Choi, H.-G. and P. E. Laibinis, “Electrochemical Measurement of Chloride by Underpotentially Deposited Silver Films on Polycrystalline Gold,” Anal. Chem. 76 (2004): 5911-5917.
Moeser, G. D., K. A. Roach, W. H. Green, T. A. Hatton, and P. E. Laibinis, “High Gradient Magnetic Separation of Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles,” AIChE J. 50 (2004): 2835-2848.
Jennings, G. K., T.-H. Yong, J. C. Munro, and P. E. Laibinis, “Structural Effects on the Protective Properties of Self-Assembled Monolayers Formed from Long-Chain w-Alkoxy-n-Alkanethiols on Copper,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 125 (2003): 2950-2957.
Mo, G. C. H., J. Yang, S.-W. Lee, P. E. Laibinis, and D. Y. Kwok: “Self-propelled Drop Movement: Chemical Influences on the Use of Kinetic or Equilibrium Approaches in Reactive Wetting,” in Contact Angle, Wettability and Adhesion, Mittal, K.L. (ed.); Brill Academic Publishing, Portland, OR, 3 (2003): 293-308.
Jon, S., J. Seong, A. Khademhosseini, T.-N. T. Tran, P. E. Laibinis, and R. Langer, “Construction of Non-Biofouling Surfaces by Polymeric Self-Assembled Monolayers,” Langmuir 19, (2003): 9989-9993.
Lee, S.-W., D. Y. Kwok, and P. E. Laibinis, “Chemical Influences on Adsorption-Mediated Self-Propelled Drop Movement,” Phys. Rev. E 65 (2002): 051602.
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Faculty and Research 
