S. Scott Saavedra

Honors

• Associated Western Universities Faculty Fellowship, 1994-95
• Research Fellowship, NSF-Engineering Research Center for Emerging Cardiovascular Technologies, 1989-90

Education and Appointments

• B.S., 1981, University of Maryland (Biochemistry)
  
• Ph.D., 1986, Duke University (Analytical Chemistry)
  
• Postdoctoral Fellow 1989-1991, Duke University (Biomedical Engineering)
  

Research Interests

• Analytical
  
• Biological
  
• Bioanalytical
  
• Instrumentation
  
• Biophysical
  
• Materials Synthesis and Characterization
  
• Polymers
  
• Surface Science
  

Research Summary

The multidisciplinary research activities of our group are organized around several overlapping themes: the chemistry of biointerfaces and analytical techniques appropriate to study them, new molecular assemblies for molecular device technologies such as chemical sensing and solar capture/storage, and development of molecular devices based on optical waveguide transducers. Some current projects are:

1. Creation of novel protein and proteo-lipid supramolecular assemblies for use in molecular device technologies such as biosensing (e.g., Figure 1). Our fundamental studies of these assemblies seek to elucidate relationships between their structure and biofunction.

2. Development of new thin film optical devices for use in condensed phase surface spectroscopies and chemical sensing transduction. The creation of novel planar waveguide spectroelectrochemical devices has been a focus of much of our recent work (e.g., Figure 2).

3. Creation of biomimetic transducers, composed of functionalized lipid membranes coupled to planar semiconductors, that capture solar energy and convert it into an electrochemical potential.

4. Preparation of sol-gel derived, inorganic/organic composite materials with novel functional properties, and their application as chemical sensing materials.

A variety of modern analysis tools are used in these projects, including optical waveguide absorbance spectroscopy, total internal reflection fluorescence spectroscopy, waveguide-enhanced spectroelectrochemistry, atomic force microscopy, vibrational spectroscopies, and vacuum surface analysis methods. Some of these techniques are unique to our laboratory, and are undergoing continuing development, which is facilitated by collaborations with researchers in the Chemistry Department, other departments on this campus, and other universities.

Selected Publications

• Renée A. Lawton, Colin R. Price, Anne F. Runge, Walter J. Doherty III and S. Scott Saavedra, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochem. Eng. Aspects, 2005, 253, 213–215. “Air Plasma Treatment of Submicron Thick PDMS Polymer Films: Effect of Oxidation Time and Storage Conditions.”

• Ware H. Flora, Sergio B. Mendes, Walter J. Doherty III, S. Scott Saavedra, Neal R. Armstrong, Langmuir, 2005, 21, 360-368. “Determination of Molecular Anisotropy in Thin-Films of Discotic Assemblies Using Attenuated Total Reflectance UV-Visible Spectroscopy.”

• John Thomas Bradshaw, Sergio B. Mendes, and S. Scott Saavedra, Analytical Chemistry, 2005, 77, 28A-36A, “New Dimensions in Planar Integrated Optical Waveguide Spectroscopy.”

• Anne F. Runge, Nicole C. Rasmussen, S. Scott Saavedra, and Sergio B. Mendes, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2005, 109, 424-431. “Determination of Anisotropic Optical Constants and Surface Coverage of Molecular Films Using Polarized Visible ATR Spectroscopy. Application to Adsorbed Cytochrome c Films.”

• Chenhao Ge, Walter J. Doherty III, Sergio B. Mendes, Neal R. Armstrong, and S. Scott Saavedra, Talanta, 2005, 65, 1126-1131. “Voltammetric and Waveguide Spectroelectrochemical Characterization of Ultrathin Poly(Aniline)/Poly(Acrylic Acid) Films Self-Assembled on Indium-Tin Oxide.”

• Todd W. McBee and S. Scott Saavedra, Langmuir, 2005, 21, 3396-3399. “Stability of Lipid Films Formed on -Aminopropyl Monolayers.”

• Varuni Subramaniam, Isabel D. Alves, Gilmar F. J. Salgado, Pick-Wei Lau, Zdzislaw Salamon, Gordon Tollin, Victor J. Hruby, Michael F. Brown, and S. Scott Saavedra, J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 2005, 127, 5320-5321. “Rhodopsin reconstituted into a planar supported lipid bilayer retains photoactivity after cross-linking polymerization of lipid monomers.”

• Walter J. Doherty III, Neal R. Armstrong, and S. Scott Saavedra, Chem. Mater., 2005, 17, 3652-3660. “Conducting Polymer Growth in Porous Sol-Gel Thin Films: Formation of Nanoelectrode Arrays and Mediated Electron Transfer to Sequestered Macromolecules.”

• Todd W. McBee and S. Scott Saavedra, Langmuir, 2005, 21, 3396-3399. “Stability of Lipid Films Formed on -Aminopropyl Monolayers.”

• Walter J. Doherty III, Adam G. Simmonds, Sergio B. Mendes, Neal R. Armstrong, and S. Scott Saavedra, Appl. Spectros., 2005, 59, 1248-1256. “Molecular Ordering in Monolayers of a Perylene-Bisimide Dye by Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) UV-Visible Spectroscopy.”

• Todd W. McBee, Liying Wang, Chenhao Ge, Brooke M. Beam, Ana L. Moore, Devens Gust, Thomas A. Moore, Neal R. Armstrong, and S. Scott Saavedra, J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 2006, 128, 2184-2185. “Characterization of Proton Transport Across a Waveguide-Supported Lipid Bilayer.”

• Walter J. Doherty III, Ronald J. Wysocki, Jr., Neal R. Armstrong, and S. Scott Saavedra, J. Phys. Chem. B., 2006, 110, 4900-4907. “Potential-Modulated, Attenuated Total Reflectance Spectroscopy of Poly(3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and Poly(3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene Methanol) (PEDTM) Copolymer Films on Indium-Tin Oxide.”

• Anne F. Runge, S. Scott Saavedra, and Sergio B. Mendes, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2006, 110, 6721-6731. “Combination of Polarized TIRF and ATR Spectroscopies for Determination of the Second and Fourth Order Parameters of Molecular Orientation in Thin Films and Construction of an Orientation Distribution Based on the Maximum Entropy Method.”

• Anne F. Runge, Sergio B. Mendes, and S. Scott Saavedra, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2006, 110, 6732-6739. “Order Parameters and Orientation Distributions of Solution Adsorbed and Microcontact Printed Cytochrome c Protein Films on Glass and ITO.”

• Eric E. Ross, James R. Joubert, Ronald J. Wysocki, Jr., Tony Spratt, David F. O’Brien, and S. Scott Saavedra, Biomacromolecules, 2006, 7, 1393-1398. “Patterned Protein Films on Poly(Lipid) Films by Microcontact Printing.”

• Walter J. Doherty III, Ronald J. Wysocki, Jr., Neal R. Armstrong, and S. Scott Saavedra, Macromolecules, 2006, 39, 4418-4424. “Electrochemical Copolymerization and Spectroelectrochemical Characterization of 3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) and 3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene Methanol (EDTM) Copolymers on Indium-Tin Oxide.”

• Zeynep Ozkan Araci, Anne F. Runge, Walter J. Doherty III, and S. Scott Saavedra, Israel Journal of Chemistry, 2006, 46, 249-255. “Potential-Modulated Attenuated Total Reflectance Spectroscopy of Prussian Blue Films on ITO."

• Chenhao Ge, Neal R. Armstrong, and S. Scott Saavedra, Anal. Chem., 2007, 79, 1401-1410. “pH-Sensing Properties of Poly(Aniline) Ultrathin Films Self-Assembled on Indium-Tin Oxide.”