Education
- BA Mod, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, 1987
- MS, Cornell University, 1990
- PhD, Cornell University, 1994
Biography
Stephen FitzGerald started his physics training in Ireland, obtaining a bachelor’s degree at Trinity College Dublin. He received a PhD at Cornell University and caught the teaching bug during a one-year position at Colgate University. His preparation for Oberlin was rounded out by a postdoctorate at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
FitzGerald was one of six faculty members to receive the college’s prestigious Excellence in Teaching Award for 2015–16.
Research Interests
- Infrared spectroscopy of trapped hydrogen molecules
- Inelastic spectroscopy of Fullerenes (Buckyballs)
Research
Oberlin Papers
- Temperature-Programmed Desorption for Isotope Separation in Nanoporous Materials:
J. Chem. Phys. C DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b11048 (2018) . - Hydrogen Uptake on Coordinatively Unsaturated Metal Sites in VSB-5: Strong Binding Affinity Leading to High-Temperature D2/H2 Selectivity:
Langmuir 33, 14586, (2017) . - Explaining the symmetry breaking observed in the endofullerenes H2@C60, HF@C60, and H2O@C60:
Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 19, 31274, (2017) . - Olsalazine-Based Metal−Organic Frameworks as Biocompatible Platforms for H2 Adsorption and Drug Delivery:
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 138, 10143, (2016) . - Orientational ortho-H2 pair interactions in the microporous framework MOF-5:
Phys. Rev. B 92, 134304 (2015) . - High surface area and Z’ in a thermally stable 8-fold polycatenated hydrogen-bonded framework:
Chem. Commun. (2015) . - Insights into the anomalous vibrational frequency shifts of CO2 adsorbed to metal sites in microporous frameworks:
J. Phys. Chem. C 119, 5293 (2015) . - Infrared overtone spectroscopy of adsorbed hydrogen in MOF-5:
J. Mol. Spec. 307, 20, (2015) . - M2(m-dobdc) (M = Mg, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) Metal-Organic Frameworks Exhibiting Increased Charge Density and Enhanced H2 Binding at the Open Metal Sites:
J. Am. Chem. Soc.136, 12129, (2014) . - H2 in solid C60: Coupled translation-rotation eigenstates in the octahedral interstitial site from quantum five-dimensional calculations:
J. Chem. Phys. 138, 244707 (2013) . - Highly selective quantum sieving of D2 from H2 by a metal-organic framework as determined by infrared spectroscopy:
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135, 458 (2013) . - Metal-specific interactions of H2 adsorbed within isostructural metal-organic frameworks:
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133, 20310 (2011) . - Neutron scattering and spectroscopic studies of hydrogen adsorption in Cr3(BTC)2 – A metal-organic framework with exposed Cr2+ sites:
J. Phys. Chem. C 115, 8414- 8421 (2011) . - Quantum dynamics of adsorbed normal- and para-H2, HD, and D2 in the microporous framework MOF-74 analyzed using diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy:
Phys. Rev. B. 81, 104305 (2010) . - Quantum dynamics of adsorbed H2 in the microporous framework MOF-5 analyzed using diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy:
Phys. Rev. B. 77, 24301 (2008) . - Cryogenic apparatus for diffuse reflection infrared spectroscopy with high-pressure capabilities:
Rev. Sci. Inst. 77, 093110 (2006) . - Low-temperature infrared spectroscopy of H2 in solid C60:
Phys.Rev. B 73, 155409 (2006) . - Kinetics of H2 desorption from crystalline C60:
Phys. Rev. B 71, 045415 (2005) . - Adsorption of CF4 on the internal and external surfaces of open single-wall carbon nanotubes. A vibrational spectroscopy study:
J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 125, 5889 (2003) . - Induced infrared absorption of molecular hydrogen in solid C60:
Phys. Rev. B 65, 140302 (2002) . - Quantum dynamics of interstitial H2 in solid C60:
Phys. Rev. B 60, 6439 (1999) .
Invited Talks
- American Chemical Society Conference, San Diego, March 2016:
Site Selective Spectroscopy: Interactions of Adsorbed H2 in MOFs - American Crystallographic Association Conference, Pennsylvania, July 2015:
Metal Bonded Organic Frameworks, Hydrogen Bonded Frameworks, and Jesse Rowsell - Telluride Research Conference, Metal-Organic Frameworks: Experiments and Simulation, June 2015:
Infrared Spectroscopy of H2 in MOFs - Jesse Rowsell Memorial Symposium and Celebration, Oberlin College, April 2015:
MOF-5: There and Back Again - Telluride Research Conference, Spectroscopy and Dynamics of Coupled Anharmonic Vibrations of Floppy Molecular Systems, July 2014:
Overtone Vibrational Spectroscopy and Anharmonic Behavior in Adsorbed Molecular Hydrogen - Gordon Research Conference, Hydrogen-Metal Systems, Il Ciocco, Italy, July 2013:
Investigating Adsorbed Molecular Hydrogen with Infrared Spectroscopy - Materials Research Society Conference, Salt Lake City, April 2012:
Metal-Specific Interactions of H2 in an Isostructural MOF Series
Recent Courses
- Physics 110: Mechanics and Relativity
- Physics 312: Quantum Mechanics
- Physics 414: Advanced Lab
Awards and Recognition
Professor of Physics Stephen FitzGerald in spring 2017 was awarded a three-year, $310,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to support his project entitled "RUI: Probing adsorbate interactions in metal-organic frameworks using site selective spectroscopy."
This research examines hydrogen storage for fuel-cell applications and isotope separation for chemical labeling, medical tracing, and heavy water moderators. The grant provides funds for ongoing student participation and the acquisition of a specialized mass-spectrometer.
Notes
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Stephen FitzGerald Presents Seminar
November 12, 2018Professor of Physics Stephen FitzGerald presented a seminar titled "Hydrogen Isotope Separation Using Metal-Organic Frameworks" at the University of California Berkeley.
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Stephen FitzGerald Awarded Grant
March 2, 2017Professor of Physics Stephen FitzGerald was awarded a three-year, $310,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to support his project entitled "RUI: Probing adsorbate interactions in metal-organic frameworks using site selective spectroscopy." This research examines hydrogen storage for fuel-cell applications and isotope separation for chemical labeling, medical tracing, and heavy water moderators. The grant provides funds for on-going student participation and the acquisition of a specialized mass-spectrometer.
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Stephen FitzGerald Publishes
November 11, 2015Professor of Physics Stephen FitzGerald published the paper "Orientational ortho-H2 pair interactions in the microporous framework MOF-5” in the international journal Physical Review B. The paper was co-authored by Christopher Eckdahl '17, Cooper McDonald '15, Jocienne Nelson '14, Kai Shinbrough '17, Holden Lai '15, and the late Assistant Professor of Chemistry Jesse Rowsell.