Brian K. Keller, Ph.D.

Physical Chemistry

Assistant Professor

office SC417

phone 770 423-6169

Detailed Research Interests:

My research projects focus on the development of novel fiber optic based chemical and biochemical sensors. The primary focus will be in demonstrating the utility of a Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) gold nanoparticle-modified Fiber-Optic Capillary (FOCap) biosensor. We will later attempt to demonstrate the utility of SPR-based FOCap sensors in both Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy and SPR-Enhanced Fluorescence Sensing. Also some continued studies of the dissociation pathways of organic peroxy acids will be conducted. This may include laser photolysis from the UV to the near-IR and also thermalysis depending upon the availability of a new light source and other equipment.

Future research projects will include the development of a stand alone remote sensing instrument for airborne NH₄NO₃ in particulate samples.

The development of approximately 3-4 P-Chem laboratory experiments utilizing a small pulsed Nd:YAG/Dye Laser system (PTI, Inc.) is also of great interest to me. These experiments will rely of the laser system as a pump-probe device for experiments using Laser Induced Fluorescence and Raman Spectroscopy.

Selected Publications:

1. B.K. Keller, M.D. DeGrandpre, C.P. Palmer, Characterization of long pathlength capillary waveguides for evanescent chemical sensing applications, Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 5585 (2004) 143-151.

2. B.K. Keller, M.D. DeGrandpre, C.P. Palmer, Waveguiding properties of fiber-optic capillaries for chemical sensing applications, Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 125 (2007) 360-371.

3. B.K. Keller, O. Shulga, M.D. DeGrandpre, C.P. Palmer, Development of a fiber-optic capillary evanescent wave surface plasmon resonance bio-sensor, Sensors and Transducers Journal 88(2), Feb. 26, 2008, 21-30.

4. B.K. Keller, M.D. Wojcik, T.R. Fletcher, A directly-dissociative stepwise reaction mechanism for gas phase peroxyacetic acid, Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry 195 (2008) 10-22.

5. E.D. Paprocki, B.K. Keller, W.R. Laws, C.P. Palmer, M.D. DeGrandpre, Characterization of long pathlength capillary waveguides for evanescent fluorescence sensing applications, Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, in