Current position

2019 onwards – Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI.

Education

• Postdoctoral fellowship (2013-2019), Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, with Prof. Emily A. Weiss at the Department of Chemistry and the Center for Bio-inspired Energy Research (CBES).
• Ph.D. in Chemistry (2013), Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel. Dissertation title: “Interaction of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Transducers with Dielectric and Fluorescent Materials”; Advisor: Prof. Israel Rubinstein
• M.Sc. in Chemistry (2009), Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel. Dissertation title: “Distance Sensitivity in Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) Systems”; Advisor: Prof. Israel Rubinstein
  • Three-month rotations with:
    • Prof. Michael Bendikov – electrochromic conducting polymers
    • Prof. Leeor Kronik – density functional theory computations
    • Prof. Israel Rubinstein – coordination chemistry layer-by-layer assemblies, plasmonic transducers
• B.Sc. in Chemistry, summa cum laude (2007), Tel Aviv University, Israel. Undergraduate research project: “Lithium cell electrode fabrication” (Prof. Emanuel Peled)

Journal publications

At Marquette

20. Surface-Modified Pd/CeO₂ Single Atom Catalyst Shows Increased Activity for Suzuki Cross-Coupling. Audrey Vice, Nicholas Langer, Benjamin Reinhart, and Ofer Kedem. Submitted.

19. Cationic Polymer Coating Increases the Catalytic Activity of Gold Nanoparticles towards Anionic Substrates. Nicholas Langer, Mason LeGrand and Ofer Kedem. Submitted.

18. The effect of ligands and their removal on the Au nanoparticle-catalyzed reduction of 4-nitrophenol. Nicholas R. Langer and Ofer Kedem. J. Phys. Chem. C 2022, 126, 13705–13713.

17. UV- and Visible-light Photopatterning of Molecular Gradients using the Thiol-yne Click Reaction. Mark Mitmoen and Ofer Kedem. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2022, 14, 32696−32705.

16. Electron ratchets: State of the field and future challenges. Bryan Lau and Ofer Kedem. Invited Perspective. J. Chem. Phys., 2020, 152, 200901

From postdoctoral work

(Please see detailed descriptions of these studies in the “Ratchets” section)

15. Empirical Mappings of the Frequency Response of an Electron Ratchet to the Characteristics of the Polymer Transport Layer. Mohamad S. Kodaimati, Ofer Kedem, George C. Schatz and Emily A. Weiss. J. Phys. Chem. C, 2019, 123, 22050-22057

14. Cooperative Transport in a Multi-Particle, Multi-Dimensional Flashing Ratchet. Ofer Kedem and Emily A. Weiss. J. Phys. Chem. C, 2019, 123, 6913-6921. Published as part of The Journal of Physical Chemistry virtual special issue “Abraham Nitzan Festschrift”

13. How to drive a flashing electron ratchet to maximize current. Ofer Kedem, Bryan Lau, and Emily A. Weiss. Nano Lett., 2017, 17, 5848–5854

12. A Light-Responsive Organic Flashing Electron Ratchet. Ofer Kedem, Bryan Lau, Mark A. Ratner, and Emily A. Weiss. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2017, 114, 8698-8703

11. Mechanisms of Symmetry Breaking in a Multidimensional Flashing Particle Ratchet. Ofer Kedem, Bryan Lau, and Emily A. Weiss. ACS Nano, 2017, 11, 7148–7155

10. A Silicon Ratchet to Produce Power from Below-Bandgap Photons. Bryan Lau, Ofer Kedem, Mohamad Kodaimati, Mark A. Ratner, and Emily A. Weiss. Adv. Energy Mater., 2017, 7, 1701000

9. An Introduction to Ratchets in Chemistry and Biology. Bryan Lau*, Ofer Kedem*, James Schwabacher, Daniel Kwasnieski and Emily A. Weiss. Mater. Horiz., 2017, 4, 310-318; [Download PDF]
 * – equal contribution

8. Identification of Two Mechanisms for Current Production in a Biharmonic Flashing Electron Ratchet. Bryan Lau, Ofer Kedem, Mark A. Ratner, and Emily A. Weiss. Phys. Rev. E, 2016, 93, 062128

From graduate studies

(Please see detailed descriptions of these studies in the “Plasmonics” section)

7. Distance-Dependent Fluorescence of Tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) on Supported Plasmonic Gold Nanoparticle Ensembles. Ofer Kedem, Wendel Wohlleben, and Israel Rubinstein. Nanoscale, 2014, 6, 15134-15143

6. Critical Issues in Localized Plasmon Sensing. Ofer Kedem, Alexander Vaskevich, and Israel Rubinstein. J. Phys. Chem. C, 2014, 118, 8227-8244. Invited Feature Article, featured on the cover

5. Stabilization of Metal Nanoparticle Films on Glass Surfaces Using Ultrathin Silica Coating. Julia Chaikin, Ofer Kedem, Jennifer Raz, Alexander Vaskevich, and Israel Rubinstein. Anal. Chem., 2013, 85, 10022-10027

4. Oscillatory Behavior of the Long-Range Response of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Transducers. Ofer Kedem, Takumi Sannomiya, Alexander Vaskevich, and Israel Rubinstein. J. Phys. Chem. C, 2012, 116, 26865–26873

3. Comparative Assessment of the Sensitivity of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Transducers and Interference-Based Fabry-Pérot Transducers. Ofer Kedem, Alexander Vaskevich, and Israel Rubinstein, invited contribution to Special Issue: “Plasmonic Sensors”. Ann. Phys. (Berlin), 2012, 524, 713-722

2. Improved Sensitivity of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Transducers Using Reflection Measurements. Ofer Kedem, Alexander Vaskevich, and Israel Rubinstein. J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 2011, 2, 1223–1226

1. Sensitivity and Optimization of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Transducers. Ofer Kedem, Alexander B. Tesler, Alexander Vaskevich, and Israel Rubinstein. ACS Nano, 2011, 5, 748–760

Invited book chapter

• Long Range Metal Enhanced Fluorescence. Ofer Kedem. In Surface Plasmon Enhanced, Coupled and Controlled Fluorescence, Ed: Chris D. Geddes, Wiley & Sons, 2017

Patent

• Ofer Kedem, Bryan Lau, Emily A. Weiss. “Flashing Ratchets”, U.S. Patent 10,629,833 B2, filed November 21, 2017, issued April 21, 2020

Selected posters

 (click the links for a PDF version)

1. Electron Ratchets: Theory and Experiment. Ofer Kedem, Bryan Lau, Daniel Kwasnieski, Mark A. Ratner, and Emily A. Weiss. Science for Our Nation’s Energy Future – 2017 EFRC-HUB-CMS PI MEETING, Washington, D.C. (July 2017)
2. Distance Dependent Fluorescence Enhancement and Quenching of Tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) by Plasmonic Au Nanoparticle Arrays. Ofer Kedem, Wendel Wohlleben, and Israel Rubinstein. Israel Chemical Society 2013, Tel Aviv, Israel (February 2013)
3. Optimization of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) Transducers. Ofer Kedem, Alexander Vaskevich, and Israel Rubinstein. Materials Research Society Fall Meeting 2012, Boston, MA, USA (November 2012)
4. Improved Sensitivity of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Transducers Using Reflection Measurements. Ofer Kedem, Alexander Vaskevich, and Israel Rubinstein. Nano Israel 2010, Jerusalem, Israel (November 2010)

Selected conference talks

1. “Photopatterning functional monolayers with controlled densities”. ACS Fall Meeting 2022, Chicago, IL, August 2022
2. “Affinity-based enhancement of the activity of nanoparticle catalysts”. ACS Fall Meeting 2022, Chicago, IL, August 2022
3. “Transporting colloidal nanoparticles using symmetry-breaking ratchets”. ACS Spring Meeting 2021, virtual (Apr. 6, 2021)
4. “Ratcheting of Photo-generated Carriers in an Organic Bulk-heterojunction”. EDISON20 – The 20th International Conference on Electron Dynamics in Semiconductors, Optoelectronics and Nanostructures, Buffalo, NY (Jul. 2017)
5. “A Light-Responsive Organic Flashing Electron Ratchet”. Canadian Society for Chemistry 100^th Meeting, Toronto (May 2017)
6. “Ratcheting of Photo-generated Carriers in an Organic Bulk-heterojunction”. Israel Vacuum Society 34^th Annual Conference, Beer-Sheva (Sep. 2016)
7. “Electronic Ratcheting in an Organic Photovoltaic Material”. Israel Chemical Society 2015, Tel Aviv (Feb. 2015)
8. “The Origin of Oscillations in the Long-range Response of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Transducers”. Materials Research Society Fall Meeting 2012, Boston, MA (Nov. 2012)
9. “Distance Dependence in Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Systems” (oral). JCF Frühjahrssymposium 2011, Erlangen, Germany (Mar. 2011)