Sarah Tolbert Explained

Sarah Helen Tolbert
Workplaces:University of California, Los Angeles
Alma Mater:Yale University
University of California, Berkeley
Thesis Title:High pressure studies on nanometer sized clusters : structural, optical, and cooperative properties
Thesis Url:http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/637698539
Thesis Year:1995
Doctoral Advisor:A. Paul Alivisatos
Academic Advisors:Galen D. Stucky

Sarah Helen Tolbert is an American chemist who is a professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research considers self-assembled nanomaterials, which includes inorganic phases and colloidal materials.

Early life and education

Tolbert's father, Bert Tolbert, was a professor of chemistry at the University of Colorado Boulder.[1] She was one of four daughters. Tolbert was an undergraduate student at Yale University. She moved to the University of California, Berkeley for graduate studies, where she studied the structural, optical and cooperative properties of nanomaterials.[2] She was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Santa Barbara.[3]

Research and career

Tolbert is interested in the nanoscale assembly of materials, and how these nanostructures give rise to novel phenomena. In particular, Tolbert has investigated arrays of colloids. Colloids assemble into closely-packed areas that can be used to create large scale periodic photonics materials.

Tolbert is interested in inorganic/organic co-assembly. To this end she combines block co-polymers or organic surfactants with short-chain inorganic oligomers. Her early work involved the development of novel conjugated polymer morphologies for efficient light-emitting diodes. Amongst these morphologies, Tolbert showed it was possible to embed polymers in a silica host matrix, where stretching the matrix results in aligned polymer chains that emit linearly polarized light.[4] [5]

Tolbert works on self-assembled nanomaterials. She is particularly interested in introducing structure and periodicity to composite materials. Tolbert has studied phase transitions in inorganic solids. She has created novel, nanostructured electrodes to allow the fast charging of batteries.[6] These include molybdenum disulphide nanocrystal composites, where internal atomic-scale pathways allow lithium ions to speedily move through the electrode. The nanostructure electrodes not only support the efficient charging of batteries but also stable charge and discharging cycles.

Tolbert is a developer for Battery Streak,[7] a spin-out company who look to reduce that charging time of electronic devices.[8]

Awards and honors

Personal life

Tolbert's three sisters are all academics, including atmospheric chemist Margaret Tolbert, political scientist Caroline Tolbert and ethnomusicologist Elizabeth Tolbert.[1] She was one of four daughters. Tolbert met her husband, Benjamin Schwartz, whilst a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley.[13]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: January 15, 2021. After a century, one constant is embracing change. June 3, 2021. Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine. en.
  2. High pressure studies on nanometer sized clusters: structural, optical, and cooperative properties. 1995. Berkeley, CA. English. Sarah Helen. Tolbert. 637698539 .
  3. Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Chemistry . April 14, 2022 . Grantome.com . Tolbert . Sarah .
  4. Web site: Better Displays On Laptop Computers, Cell Phones Coming Soon. June 3, 2021. ScienceDaily. en.
  5. Molenkamp. William C.. Watanabe. Masatoshi. Miyata. Hirokatsu. Tolbert. Sarah H.. April 1, 2004. Highly Polarized Luminescence from Optical Quality Films of a Semiconducting Polymer Aligned within Oriented Mesoporous Silica. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 126. 14. 4476–4477. 10.1021/ja039296+. 15070339 . 0002-7863.
  6. Web site: One Step Closer to Practical Fast Charging Batteries. June 3, 2021. Energy.gov. en.
  7. Web site: Battery Streak Batteries Achieves 80% State-of-Charge in 10 Minutes AltEnergyMag. June 3, 2021. www.altenergymag.com. en-US.
  8. Web site: Group. Big Bang. About. June 3, 2021. Battery Streak Charge Lightning Fast. en-US.
  9. Web site: Fellows Database Alfred P. Sloan Foundation . March 24, 2022 . sloan.org . en.
  10. Web site: NSF Award Search: Award # 9985259 – CAREER: Ordered Nanoporous Semiconductors and Metals Synthesized by Combining Zintl Ion Chemistry with Inorganic/Organic Self-Organization. June 3, 2021. www.nsf.gov.
  11. Web site: Sarah H. Tolbert. June 3, 2021. Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. en-US.
  12. Web site: ONR Announces 1999 Winners of the Young Investigator Program Award .
  13. Web site: Chemists in love: Strategies and tactics for a dual-career relationship. June 3, 2021. EurekAlert!. en.