Penner-Hahn, James

George A. Lindsay Collegiate Professor of Chemistry and Biophysics
Senior Advisor to Dean for International Partnership
Professor of Biophysics
Professor of Chemistry

Biography

Metal ions play a critical role in many chemical and biological reactions, particularly those associated with energy conversion. The Penner-Hahn group’s research focuses on using spectroscopic methods (particularly x-ray absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance) to understand the structure and reactivity of metal sites, both in biological systems and in inorganic energy storage materials. Recent work has focused on x-ray nanoprobe imaging methods to characterize the distribution and speciation of transition metals in intact biological tissue and cells on the nm distance scale. They make extensive use of synchrotron radiation, using the unique resources available at synchrotron laboratories in the U.S. (Brookhaven, Argonne, Stanford and Berkeley) and abroad (Japan, France).