I’m interested in surfaces and interfaces, particularly those that involve soft condensed matter. Many of these systems are found in polymer electronic or optical devices. For example, plastic solar cells can be built with nanoscale inorganic structures surrounded by a polymeric light absorbing material. It’s important to understand and control the organic/inorganic interface to optimize charge collection. In another project we are studying photoactive monolayers that can be used to control liquid crystal displays. All of our projects involve surface optical spectroscopy, particularly those that provide vibrational fingerprints about the molecular structure of an interface. It’s fascinating work that helps us to understand basic phenomena about these systems as well as to provide insight for practical applications.