Vordiplom: Chemistry, University of Köln, Germany Diplom: Chemistry, Aachen University of Technology Dr. rer. nat.: Aachen University of Technology

Physical Chemistry/Biochemistry & Biophysics/Biomedical Sciences/Biology-Inspired Chemistry & Physics/Energy/Catalysis & Green Chemistry/Structural Chemistry/Spectroscopy & Advanced Analysis

In the Han Lab, we are developing novel techniques and innovative approaches, relying on electron and nuclear spin magnetic resonance concepts that enables one to detect structure, dynamics and interaction with unprecedented sensitivity, resolution and information content. Our lab takes a two-pronged approach: (1) to develop new instrumental capabilities, methodologies and concepts, and (2) to concurrently pursue important questions in biophysics and materials science using a new combination of the just developed, as well as existing set of, technologies. An important emphasis of the development in the Han lab lies on dynamic nuclear polarization that can amplify the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal by orders of magnitudes, by transferring polarization from highly polarized electron spin probes to surrounding nuclei. We employ strategic spin probes at molecular or material sites of interest, and pursue ambient temperature Overhauser DNP enhanced study of hydration dynamics at 10 GHz, as well as below 20 Kelvin solid state DNP enhanced NMR spectroscopy at 200 GHz. Concurrently, we also develop cw and pulsed electron spin resonance (EPR) capabilities at 200 and 240 GHz, and arbitrary waveform-powered pulsed EPR spectroscopy at X-band for enhanced studies of molecular structure and dynamics. Questions of interest include, but are not limited to, the study of lipid membrane biophysics, functional role of hydration water dynamics, membrane protein structure-dynamics-function relationship, early stages of amyloid protein aggregation, polyelectrolyte coacervation for bioinspired materials and unraveling soft matter structure-dynamics-property relationships.

Ion specific effects: decoupling ion-ion and ion-water interactions. J. Song, M. Kim, T. Kang, S. Han, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., Accepted Manuscript (2015). DOI: 10.1039/C4CP05992A

Functional Consequences of the Oligomeric Assembly of Proteorhodopsin. S. Hussain, M. Kinnebrew, N. Schonenbach, E. Aye, S. Han, J. Molec. Biol., In Press (2015). DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2015.01.004

Nanometer-Scale Water and Proton Diffusion Heterogeneities across Water Channels in Polymer Electrolyte Membranes. J. Song, O. H. Han, S. Han, Angew. Chem., Early View (2015). DOI: 10.1002/anie.201408318

Local water diffusivity as a molecular probe of surface hydrophilicity . J. Song, B. Allison, S. Han, MRS Bull., 39 (12) (2014) 1082-1088. DOI: 10.1557/mrs.2014.254

Cholesterol Enhances Surface Water Diffusion of Phospholipid Bilayers. C. Y. Cheng, L. Olijve, R. Kausik, S. Han, J. Chem. Phys., 141 (22D513) (2014). DOI: 10.1063/1.4897539

Determining the oligomeric structure of proteorhodopsin by Gd3+-based pulsed dipolar spectroscopy of multiple distances. D.T. Edwards, T. Huber, S. Hussain, K.M. Stone, M. Kinnebrew, I. Kaminker, E. Matalon, M.S. Sherwin, D. Goldfarb, S. Han, Structure, 22 (11) (2014) 1677-1686. DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2014.09.008

Intrinsic Surface-Drying Properties of Bioadhesive Proteins. Y. Akdogan, W. Wei, K. Huang, Y. Kageyama, E. W. Danner, D. R. Miller, N. R. Martinez Rodriguez, J. H. Waite, S. Han, Angew. Chem., 126 (42) (2014) 11435-11438. DOI: 10.1002/ange.201406858 PMCID: PMC4198389

Role of Electron Spin Dynamics on Solid-State Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Performance. T. Siaw, M. Fehr, A. Lund, A. Latimer, S. Walker D. Edwards, S. Han, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 16 (2014) 18694-18706. DOI: 10.1039/C4CP02013H

Probing water density and dynamics in the chaperonin GroEL cavity. J. Franck, M. Sokolovski, N. Kessler, E. Matalon, M. Gordon-Grossman, S. Han, D. Goldfarb, A. Horovitz, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 136 (26) (2014) 9396-9403. DOI: 10.1021/ja503501x PMCID: PMC4091268

Specific Ions Modulate Diffusion Dynamics of Hydration Water on Lipid Membrane Surfaces. J. Song, J. Franck, P. Pincus, M.W. Kim, S. Han, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 136 (6) (2014) 2642-2649. DOI: 10.1021/ja4121692 PMCID: PMC3985948

Fluidity and Water in Nanoscale Domains Define Coacervate Hydrogels. J.H. Ortony, S.H. Choi, J.M. Spruell, J.N. Hunt, N.A. Lynd, D.V. Krogstad, V.S. Urban, C.J. Hawker, E.J. Kramer, S. Han, Chemical Sciences 5 (2013) 58-67. DOI: 10.1039/C3SC52368C

Hydration Dynamics as an Intrinsic Ruler for Refining Protein Structure at Lipid Membrane Interfaces. C.Y. Cheng, J. Varkey, M.R. Ambroso, R. Langen, S. Han, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 110 (42) (2013) 16838–16843. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1307678110 PMCID: PMC3800990

DAC-board based X-band EPR Spectrometer with Arbitrary Waveform Control (w/Audio Slide Presentation). T. Kaufmann, T.J. Keller, J.M. Franck, R.P. Barnes, S.J. Glaser, J.M. Martinis, S. Han, J. Magn. Reson. 235 (2013) 95-108 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2013.07.015 PMCID: PMC3863685

Quantitative cw Overhauser Dynamic Nuclear Polarization for the Analysis of Local Water Dynamics. J. M. Franck, A. Pavlova, J.A. Scott, S. Han, Prog. Nucl. Magn. Reson. 74 (2013) 33-56. DOI: 10.1016/j.pnmrs.2013.06.001 PMCID: PMC3798041

Temperature Dependence of High Field 13C Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Processes below 35 Kelvin. S.A. Walker, D.T. Edwards, T. Siaw, B.D. Armstrong, S. Han, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 15 (36) (2013) 15106-15120 DOI:10.1039/C3CP51628H

Extending the Distance Range Accessed with Continuous Wave EPR with Gd3+ Spin Probes at High Magnetic Fields. D.T. Edwards, Z. Ma, T.J. Meade, D. Goldfarb, S. Han, M.S. Sherwin, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 15 (2013) 11313-11326 DOI: 10.1039/C3CP43787F PMCID: PMC4142211

Overhauser Dynamic Nuclear Polarization-Enhanced NMR Relaxometry. J.M. Franck, R. Kausik, S. Han, Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 178 (2013) 113-118 DOI: 10.1016/j.micromeso.2013.04.019 PMCID: PMC3702190

Asymmetric Collapse in Biomimetic Complex Coacervates Revealed by Local Polymer and Water Dynamics. J.H. Ortony, D.S. Hwang, J.M. Franck, J.H. Waite, S. Han, Biomacromolecules, 14(5) (2013) 1395-1402 DOI: 10.1021/bm4000579 PMCID: PMC4090114

Phase Cycling with a 240 GHz Free Electron Laser-powered Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectrometer. D.T. Edwards, Y. Zhang, S.J. Glaser, S. Han, M.S. Sherwin, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 15 (2013) 5707-5719 DOI: 10.1039/C3CP44492A

Nonlinear Scaling of Surface Water Diffusion with Bulk Water Viscosity of Crowded Solutions. J.M. Franck, J.A. Scott, S. Han, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 135(11) (2013) 4175-4178 DOI: 10.1021/ja3112912