Welcome to the Web Page of
 
 Dr. Boon H. Loo
Professor and Chair
 
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Nanostructures; materials chemistry and characterization; photochromic and electrochromic properties of transition metal oxides; electroanalytical chemistry; surface-enhanced Raman, FT-IR and FT-Raman spectroscopic, and scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopic study of interfaces; surface chemistry of adsorbates; surface analogs of organometallic complexes; corrosion and inhibition; optical coatings and synthetic diamond films; non-linear optical materials; environmental studies; chemically modified electrodes; electrochemical sensors; photoelectrochemical solar conversion. high temperature superconductors fabrication and characterization.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
  1. Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry, Towson University, Baltimore, Maryland. 8/2002 to present
  2. Associate Chair, Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Alabama. 9/2001 to 8/2002.
  3. Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), Alabama. 9/1988 to 8/2002.
  4. Visiting Scientist, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. June 1997; July 2001; Jan 2003.
  5. Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) Study Visits, Institut fur Physikalische Chemie, Universitat Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. December 1995; and June to August, 1999.
  6. Summer Faculty Fellow, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee. July and August 1995.
  7. Visiting Presidential Scholar, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
  8. Senior Teaching Fellow in Chemistry and Materials Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore. 6/1991 to 9/1992 and 6/1993 to 9/1993.
  9. Visiting Professor and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellow. The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Japan. 9/1988 to 7/1989; and July and August 2000.
  10. Adjunct Professor of Materials Science, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. 9/1988 to 8/2002.
  11. Adjunct Professor of Materials Science, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama. 9/1988 to 8/2002.
  12. Adjunct Associate Professor of Physics, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Alabama. 9/1987 to 8/1988.
  13. Associate Professor of Chemistry, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama. 9/1982 to 8/1988.
  14. Universities Space Research Association (USRA) Visiting Scientist NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama. Summers of 1985 and 1987.
  15. Von Braun Fellow in Materials Science, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama. 9/1982 to 8/1984.
  16. Materials Scientist, Materials Research Laboratory, SRI International (formerly Stanford Research Institute), Menlo Park, California. 12/1979 to 9/1982.
  17. Ames Laboratory Postdoctoral Fellow, Materials Science Program, Ames Laboratory -U.S. Department of Energy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. 10/1977 to 11/1979.
  18. Postdoctoral Research Associate, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey. 4/1976 to 9/1977.
  19. Teaching and Research Assistant, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Chicago. 9/1970 to 3/1976.
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
  1. B. Sc. (1969) in Chemistry and Mathematics, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
  2. M. Sc. (1970) in Chemistry, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
  3. M. A. (1974) in Mathematics, University of Illinois, Chicago.
  4. Ph.D. (1976) in Chemistry, University of Illinois, Chicago.
  5. Postdoctoral (1976-77), Department of Chemistry, Princeton University.
  6. Postdoctoral (1977-79), Department of Physics, Iowa State University.
HONORS
  1. Von Braun Chair (UAH) in Materials Science, 1982-84.
  2. Universities Space Research Association (NASA) Visiting Scientist, 1985 and 1987.
  3. Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Fellow, University of Tokyo, 1988-89.
  4. Presidential Scholar, Waseda University (Japan), 1995.
  5. Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) Grant (Germany), 1995.
  6. K. C. Wong Foundation (Hong Kong) Scholar, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1997.
  7. Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) Grant (Germany), 1999.
  8. Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Fellowship, University of Tokyo, 2000.
  9. K. C. Wong Foundation (Hong Kong) Scholar, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2001.
  10. Visiting Fellow, Cheryl Emerson Center for Computational Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, 2002-2003.
  11. K. C. Wong Foundation (Hong Kong) Scholar, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2003.
RECENT ACTIVITIES
  1. Review proposals for National Science Foundation
  2. Review articles for J. Phys. Chem., J. Electrochem. Soc., J. Raman Spectroscopy, Applied Surface Science, Langmuir, Chemosphere, J. Appl. Electrochem. etc.
  3. Faculty Consultant for Advanced Placement Chemistry, Educational Testing Service, Princeton.
  4. Ph. D. Thesis (Physics) Examiner, Banaras Hindu University, India, 2003.
PUBLICATIONS
 
Over 100 refereed articles in international scientific journals, 16 proceedings papers, 6 chapters in 6 books, and 4 technical reports, in addition to many presentations at scientific society meetings, and seminars or symposia at universities. Recent publications are:
  1. S. M. Rao, K. H. Xe, M. Deanty, J. Lansdown, R. B. Lal, R. A. Evans, B. H. Loo, J. M. Chang, R. M. Metzger, W. J. Lee, A. J. Shields, B. G. Penn and D. 0. Frazier, "A New Triclinic Polymorph of 2-Methyl-4-Nitroaniline --An Efficient Nonlinear Optical Material" Journal of Materials Science 30 (1995) 179-184.
  2. B. H. Loo, J. N. Yao, H. D. Coble, K. Hashimoto and A. Fujishima, " A Raman Microprobe Study of Electrochromic and Photochromic Films of Molybdenym Trioxide and Tungsten Trioxide" Applied Surface Science 81 (1995) 175-81.
  3. A. D. Modestov, Guo-Ding Zhou, Hong-Hua Ge and B. H. Loo, "A Study of the Behavior of Copper Electrode in Acidic and Alkaline Solutions Containing Chloride Ions by Voltammetric and Photocurrent Response Methods," Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 380 (1995) 63-69.
  4. T. Kato, B. H. Loo, M. Yokomaku, Y, Butsugan, K. Y. Sim and A. Fujishima, "Photo-electrochemical Reduction of Tetrazolium Salts to Formazans on Surfaces of Semiconductor Powders in Alcohol Solutions", Spectroscopy Letters 28 (1995) 849-859.
  5. L. M. Gan, L. H. Zhang, H. S. O. Chan, C. H. Chew, and B. H. Loo, "A Novel Method for the Synthesis of Perovskite-type Mixed Metal Oxides by the Inverse Microemulsion Technique" Journal of Materials Science 31 (1996) 1071-1079.
  6. G. D. Zhou, H. Shao and B. H. Loo, "A Study of the Copper Electrode Behavior in Borax Buffer Solutions Containing Chloride Ions and Benzotriazole-type Inhibitors by Voltammetry and the Photocurrent Response Methods" Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 421 (1997) 129-135.
  7. B. H. Loo, I. Ibrahim and M. T. Emerson, "Analysis of Surface Coverage of Benzotriazole Mixtures on Copper Electrodes from Surface- Enhanced Raman Spectra " Chemical Physics Letters 287 (1998) 449-454.
  8. J. N. Yao and B. H. Loo, "Improved Visible-Light Photochromism in Au/MoO3/SnO2 Thin Films" Solid State Communications 105 (1998) 479-480.
  9. Z. S. Guan, J. N. Yao, Y. A. Yang and B. H. Loo, "Electrochromism of the Annealed Vacuum-Evaporated V205 Films" Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 443 (1998) 175-179.
  10. J. N. Yao, Y. A. Yang and B. H. Loo, "Enhancement of Photochromism and Electrochromism in the Au/Mo03/Sn02 and Pt/Mo03/Sn02 Thin Films" Journal of Physical Chemistry B 102 (1998) 1856-18bO.
  11. A. Kamkin, G. D. Zhou and B. H. Loo, "Photoelectrochemical Study of the Passive Layers on Copper Electrodes in Some Alkaline Media" Trans. Non-Ferrous Metals Soc. China 18 (1998) 304-310.
  12. Y. A. Yang, J. N. Yao, Y. W. Cao and B. H. Loo, "Structural Properties of Electrochromic MoO3 Thin Films Colored by Injection of Different Cations" Journal of Physical Chemistry B 102 (1998) 9392-97.
  13. Y. A. Yang, Y. W. Cao, J. N. Yao, P. Chen and B. H. Loo, "Visible-light Photochromism in the electrolytically pretreated W03 thin films" J. Chemistry and Physics of Solids 59 (1998) 1667-1670.
  14. B. H. Loo, Y. G. Lee, E. J. Liang and W. Kiefer, "Enhanced Raman Scattering from Ferrocyanide and Ferricyanide Ions adsorbed on Silver and Copper Colloids " Chemical Physics Letters 297 (1998) 83-89.
  15. Y. A. Yang, Y. B. Wei, J. N Yao and B. H. Loo, "Electroless Copper Plating on ZnO Thin Films under UV Illumination" J. Electroanalytical Chemistry 425 (1998) 430-433.
  16. M. Tang, Y. Chen, J. Wang, M. Ouyang, S. M. Cai, Z. F. Liu and B. H. Loo, "Combined Electric Field and Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy: Modification of Silicon Surfaces" Applied Physics A 68 (1999) 177-180.
  17. Y. A. Yang, Y. B. Wei, B. H. Loo and J. N Yao, "Electroless Copper Plating on a Glass Substrate coated with ZnO Thin Films under UV Illumination " J. Electroanalytical Chemistry 462 (1999) 259-263.
  18. Y. A. Yang, Y. Ma, J. N. Yao and B. H. Loo, "Simulation of Sublimation Process in the Preparation of Photochromic W03 films by Laser Microprobe Mass Spectrometry" J. Crystalline Solids 272 (2000) 71-74.
  19. H. H. Ge, G. D. Zhou, Q. Q. Liao, Y. G. Lee and B. H. Loo, " A Study of Anti-Corrosion Behavior of Octadecylamine-Treated Iron Samples by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, Photoelectrochemsitry and Auger Electron Spectroscopy" Applied Surface Science 156 (2000) 39-44.
  20. T. N. Rao, B. H. Loo, B. V. Sarada, C, Terashima and A. Fujishima, "Electrochemical Detection of Carbamate Pesticides at Conductive Diamond Electrodes " Analytical Chemistry 74, 1578-1583 (2001).
  21. B. H. Loo and Y. G. L. Lee, "Molecular Structures at Interfaces -Surface Analogs of Metal Complexes" Analytical Sciences i85-86 (2001).
  22. H. P. Fu, B. H. Loo and J. N. Yao, "Multiple Emission from 1,3-diphenyl-5-pyrenyl-2-pyrazoline Nanopartcles: Evolution from Molecular to Nanoscale to Bulk Materials" Angew Chem Int. Ed, 41 (2002) 962-965.
  23. B. H. Loo, "Enhanced Raman Spectroscopic Study of Interactions of Tetracyanoethylene Molecules with Copper Surfaces" J. Molecular Structure, 661-662, 451-457(2003).
  24. K. Shao, W. Yang, Y. Ma, X. Chen, Z. Chen, J. Yao and B. H. Loo,"Novel Hexagonal Tungsten Oxide Superstructures Templated by 1,10-Diaminodecane and n-Amylamine" Synthetic Metals, 139, 311-315 (2003).
  25. Z. Chen, B. H. Loo, Y. Ma, Y. Cao, T. He, W. Yang and J. Yao, "Composite 1-Hexa-decylammonium-Polyoxomolybdate Thin Films as Novel Photochromic Materials in the Violet Color Region", Bulletin Materials Science39 (2004) 1167-1173.
  26. Z. Chen, B. H. Loo, Y. Ma, Y. Cao, and J. Yao, "Photochromism of Novel Composite 1-Molybdate-Alkylamine Composite Thin Films", ChemPhysChem, 5 (2004) 1020-26.
  27. A. Ibrahim, P. B. Oldham, D. L. Stokes, T. Vo-Dinh, and B. H. Loo, "A Comparison of Enhancement factors for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering using Visible and Near-Infrared Excitations", Journal of Molecular Structure, 735-736 (2005) 69-73.
  28. . B. H. Loo, T. Tse, K. Parsons, C. Aldelman, A. El-Hage, Y. G. Lee, "Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Imidazole Adsorbed on Electrode and Colloidal Surfaces of Cu, Ag, and Au", Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, Accepted (2005).