Department of Chemistry Seminar – Dr. Laura Motta
About the event
Speaker: Dr. Laura Motta, Assistant Scientist from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Host: Dr. Ivan Popov
Title: Isotope Effects: Nature’s Guide to Chemistry
Abstract:
Undergraduate chemistry programs are experiencing a decline in enrollment, leading to the closure or merger of departments across the country, as highlighted in an October 2024 C&EN article. According to the article, this decline may not be due to the content of chemistry degrees but rather how they are presented. This raises a critical question: how can we make chemistry programs more engaging and relevant? One promising approach is to shift the focus toward environmentally relevant topics. In this talk, I will explore how expanding chemistry research into isotope effects can not only offer a potential solution but also deepen our fundamental understanding of chemistry.
Isotope effects have long been a hallmark tool for Earth scientists in studying chemical processes in the environment. With advancements in mass spectrometry, new isotope effect measurements are challenging our current understanding of chemistry. According to kinetic isotope theory, elements heavier than Z = 40 should not exhibit traditional isotope effects. However, elements such as uranium and mercury display rich isotope chemistry in the environment, raising fundamental questions about their chemical bonding and reactivity in environmentally and biochemically relevant contexts. In this talk, I will discuss the origin of actinide isotope effects in relation to the chemical bonding of these compounds, followed by an exploration of the unexpected and rare magnetic isotope effects observed in organometallic mercury compounds in marine waters. While the magnetic isotope effect has been postulated as a potential probe for quantum biology, no theoretical framework currently exists to explore or interpret these effects. In summary, I will discuss the urgent need for theoretical, experimental, and analytical advancements in chemistry to better understand the biogeochemical cycles that sustain our planet.
Bio:
Laura C. Motta earned a Chemistry degree from Rutgers University in 2013, where she conducted her first mercury experiments with marine phytoplankton in John Reinfelder’s lab. She then pursued a double Ph.D. at the University of Michigan—one in Environmental Sciences with Joel Blum, focusing on marine mercury stable isotope biogeochemistry, and in Theoretical Chemistry with Paul Zimmerman, in relativistic quantum chemistry to understand heavy element chemistry. After completing her Ph.D. in 2019, she moved to South Korea to work with Sae Yun Kwon at POSTECH, studying mercury in zooplankton. She later became a postdoctoral fellow with Jochen Autschbach at SUNY Buffalo, where she worked on relativistic quantum chemistry to explore the chemical bonding of organometallic compounds.
Since 2023, she has been at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where she leads the Theoretical Chemistry and Isotope Biogeochemistry Lab. Her research focuses on advancing our fundamental understanding of chemistry, inspired by our oceans.