Orbital Inversion in Molecular Nanohoops Signals Topological Transition
This month’s featured image showcases research on radially π-conjugated macrocycles—nanohoops with alternating aromatic and quinonoid units. Published in Chemical Science, the study reveals a rare inversion of frontier molecular orbitals (HOMO and LUMO) as aromatic content increases, marking a molecular-scale topological transition. The image illustrates this critical point, where the energy gap narrows, the spin state shifts from singlet to triplet, and unpaired electrons localize at key junctions—opening new avenues for quantum materials and molecular spintronics.
Credit: Rameswar Bhattacharjee, John D. Tovar, and Miklos Kertesz
Soft Matter Seminar: Prof. Alberto Fernandez de las Nieves, University of BarcelonaOct. 9
Leah Chen: From Physics to Public Health, Bridging Science and Global Health at Georgetown
September 9th, 2025
When Leah Chen (C’25) first arrived at Georgetown, she wasted no time jumping into research. “First or second week of freshman year, I was emailing the head of the physics department about research opportunities, and then immediately got involved in the Van Keuren lab,” she recalled.…
Toretsky Named Inaugural Hyundai Hope on Wheels Endowed Chair in Pediatric Oncology
September 8th, 2025
(September 7, 2025) — In honor of his dedication to pediatric cancer research, Jeffrey A. Toretsky, MD, professor of oncology at Georgetown University School of Medicine, was formally named the…
Celebrating Excellence: 2025 ISM Ambassador Award Recipients
August 22nd, 2025
The Institute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology (ISMSM) at Georgetown University is proud to recognize four outstanding members of our community: Leah Chen, Isabel Early, Eleni Hughes, and Charles Ochonma…
ISM Director Emanuela Del Gado Featured as Plenary Speaker at International Conference on Statistical Physics
July 23rd, 2025
This July, the global statistical physics community gathered in Florence, Italy, for the 29th edition of the International Conference on Statistical Physics (StatPhys29) a flagship event of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), held every three years. The 2025 meeting brought together over 1,500 researchers from across disciplines to explore the fundamental principles shaping complex systems, from quantum fluids to biological networks.…
Heman Bekele Brings Vision for Accessible Cancer Treatment to ISM Summer Research
July 23rd, 2025
This summer, Heman Bekele, named TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year for his development of a low-cost, cancer-fighting soap joined the Institute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology (ISMSM) at Georgetown University to expand his scientific knowledge and deepen his understanding of drug delivery mechanisms. …
2025 – 2026 Soft Matter Graduate Fellowship Recipients
June 24th, 2025
Meet the two fellowship recipients and their research.…
MASM 25: Dynamic Day of Discovery in Soft Matter
June 20th, 2025
On Friday, May 30, 2025, the 25th Mid-Atlantic Soft Matter Workshop (MASM) convened at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, bringing together scientists from across academia, industry, and national laboratories. …
9th Chesapeake Bay Area Single Molecule Biology Meeting at Georgetown University
May 29th, 2025
On May 3rd, 2025, Georgetown University hosted the 9th Chesapeake Bay Area Single Molecule Biology Meeting (CBASMB)—a dynamic day of science at the intersection of physics, chemistry, biology, and computation. Now in its ninth year, the CBASMB meeting continues to serve as a vital regional forum for researchers unraveling the complexities of life at the single-molecule level.…
