Expert on self-assembling materials and supramolecular chemistry to deliver Eyring lectures at ASU

“The living world utilizes supramolecular materials in which molecules self-assemble through highly specific noncovalent connections programmed by their structures,” explains Samuel Stupp, who is a Board of Trustees Professor of Materials Science, Chemistry, and Medicine at Northwestern University.

“In naturally occurring materials this organization of molecules occurs within the nanoscale to macroscopic dimensions, and leads in many cases to highly dynamic structures that exist within and outside the cells of complex organisms. “

Stupp is best known for his work on self-assembling materials and supramolecular chemistry. One of his most notable discoveries is a broad class of peptide amphiphiles that self-assemble into high aspect ratio nanofibers with extensive applications in regenerative medicine. He is the Director of Northwestern University’s  Center for Regenerative Nanomedicine.

On February 20 and 21, Samuel Stupp will be the featured speaker for the School of Molecular Sciences’ Eyring Lecture Series at Arizona State University's Tempe campus.

The general lecture on February 20, titled “Bio-Inspired Supramolecular Design of Materials for Energy and Advanced Medicine,” will be presented at 6 p.m. in the Marston Theater in ISTB4. A reception will precede the general lecture in the lobby of ISTB4 from 5–5:40 p.m.

The Stupp laboratory has focused over the past few decades on bio-inspired supramolecular engineering in order to discover and design new materials. The lecture will discuss three examples of functional supramolecular materials that address critical needs for humans and the planet.

The first is inspired by the photosynthetic machinery of green plants, creating materials that harvest light to produce fuels for renewable energy.

A second example will report on the development of robotic materials that emulate the motions of living creatures using external stimuli which could be useful in manufacturing.

The final topic in the lecture will describe the development of supramolecular biomaterials that mimic extracellular matrices and provide unprecedented bioactivity to regenerate tissues, an extremely important objective in order to offer therapies for devastating injuries, diseases, and healthy aging.

Stupp has also made significant contributions to the fields of nanotechnology, and organic electronic materials. He has over 500 peer-reviewed publications and was one of the 100 most cited chemists in the 2000–2010 decade.

Stupp’s awards include the Department of Energy Prize for Outstanding Scientific Accomplishment in Materials Chemistry, the Materials Research Society Medal Award, the International Award from The Society of Polymer Science in Japan, the Royal Society Award in Soft Matter and Biophysical Chemistry, and three national awards from the American Chemical Society.

He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2012 and the National Academy of Sciences in 2020.

The technical lecture, “Dynamic Supramolecular Materials: Four-Dimensional Structures” will take place at 3 p.m. on February 21 in Physical Sciences F 166.

The Eyring Lecture Series is named in honor of the late Leroy Eyring, an ASU Regents Professor of chemistry and former department chair, whose instructional and research accomplishments and professional leadership at ASU helped to bring the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry into international prominence. The Eyring Materials Center and the Navrotsky Eyring Center for Materials of the Universe at ASU are named in his honor.

The Eyring lectures are part of an interdisciplinary distinguished lecture series dedicated to stimulating discussion by renowned scientists who are at the cutting edge of their respective fields. Each series consists of a leadoff presentation to help communicate the excitement and the challenge of science to the university and community. Past lecturers have included Nobel laureates Ahmed Zewail, Jean-Marie Lehn, Harry Gray, Richard Smalley, Yuan T. Lee, Richard Schrock, John Goodenough, Mario Capecchi, Carolyn Bertozzi and, most recently awarded, David Baker.