Davis Laboratory

We are a diverse team of inorganic, physical, and materials chemists interested in sustainability in inorganic materials!

Projects

Molecular light absorbers and emitters We explore high-spin complexes of first-row transition metals, metal-metal bonded dimers and clusters, and ligand-to-ligand or ligand-to-metal charge transfer complexes as more sustainable molecules for light absorption and emission.

Materials for thin-film photovoltaics We search for earth-abundant materials for thin-film photovoltaics, including light-absorbers, electron-transport layers, and hole-transport layers. We study film formation, band alignment, and defect tolerance in metal oxides and sulfides.

Volatile molecular reducing agents We develop new volatile molecules enabling chemical vapor deposition of metals important in conventional and quantum circuits, such as Co, Ni, Ti, Al, and Nb.

People

Luke M. Davis

Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Postdoctoral Fellow with Prof. Roy G. Gordon, Harvard University

Ph.D. with Prof. Gregory S. Girolami, University of Illinois

M.S. and B.S. with Prof. David W. Thompson, The College of William and Mary

Publications prior to Tufts

Daniela Chavez

2nd-year graduate student

B.S. in Chemistry, Rhode Island College

Materials for thin-film photovoltaics

Jesse Cohan

2nd-year graduate student

B.S. in Chemistry, Muhlenberg College

Materials for thin-film photovoltaics

Prior research: Evaporation kinetics

Jessica Eldridge

2nd-year graduate student

B.S. in Chemistry, University of New Haven

Molecular light absorbers and emitters

Lee Blackmer

1st-year graduate student

B.A. in Chemistry, Mount Holyoke College

Volatile molecular reducing agents

Prior research: H⁺ Conduction in BaZrO₃:Y

Peter Bixler

Senior, ACS-certified chemistry

Laidlaw Scholar

Molecular light absorbers and emitters

Blake Bunney

Junior, biochemistry

Materials for thin-film photovoltaics

Andrea Foo

Junior, chemistry and computer science

Tufts Summer Scholar

Materials for thin-film photovoltaics

Noah Mills

Junior, ACS-certified chemistry

Materials for thin-film photovoltaics

Mandy Wang

Junior, chemical engineering

Materials for thin-film photovoltaics

Publications

Our first manuscripts are in preparation now!

Collaborations at Tufts

1. Chang, C. M.; Davis, Luke M.; Spear, E. K.; Gordon, R. G., “Chemical Vapor Deposition of Transparent, p-Type Cuprous Bromide Thin Films,” Chem. Mater. 2021, 33, 1426-1434. link

Davis publications from research prior to Tufts