After completing his Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of South Carolina, Van Patten worked as a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at Los Alamos National Laboratory. There he studied solar energy conversion in layered polymer films impregnated with organic and inorganic light-harvesting dyes.

In 1999, he was hired as an Assistant Professor at Ohio University. In 2005, he was tenured and promoted to Associate Professor. During his 13 years at Ohio University, Dr. Van Patten worked on projects that attracted $3.4M in external funding. He also mentored 13 undergraduate and 10 graduate students, published 20 scientific papers, and was awarded two patents. In 2004, he won the Jeanette Grasselli-Brown Teaching Award, and in 2008 he was named an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellow by the German government.

In 2012, Van Patten was hired as Chair of the Chemistry Department at MTSU. He continues to teach introductory undergraduate as well as graduate level courses and conducts research on semiconductor quantum dots.

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1.    A. L. Morris, C. Lin, S. E. Benjamin, V. V. N. M. Devarasetty, W. R. Tilluck, E. I. Lozano, H. Hamo, X. A. Aguilar, P. G. Van Patten, “Toward Improved Scalability of Cation Exchange Reactions of Metal Chalcogenide Nanocrystals,” Chem. Mater. 2017, 29, 6596-6600.  DOI:  10.1021/acs.chemmater.7b01065.

2.    W. R. Tilluck, A. L. Morris, J. K. Gurchiek, A. D. Evans, P. G. Van Patten, “Rapid and Facile Synthesis of High-quality, Oleate-capped PbS Nanocrystals using Air-stable Precursors,” RSC Advances 2016, 6, 81780-81788. DOI:  10.1039/c6ra12592a.

3.    Y. Yan, L. Wang, C. B. Vaughn, G. Chen, P. G. Van Patten, “Spectroscopic Investigation of Oxygen Sensitivity in CdTe and CdTe/CdS Nanocrystals,” J. Phys. Chem. C 2011, 115, 24521-24527.  DOI:  10.1021/jp2067638.

4.    Y. Yan, G. Chen, P. G. Van Patten, “Ultrafast Exciton Dynamics in CdTe Nanocrystals and Core/Shell CdTe/CdS Nanocrystals,” J. Phys. Chem. C 2011, 115, 22717-22728.  DOI:  10.1021/jp204420q.

5.    P. G. Van Patten, “Enhancement of Optical Gain in Semiconductor Nanocrystals through Energy Transfer,” J. Phys. Chem. C 2008, 112, 10622-10631.

6.    M. E. Germain, T. R. Vargo, B. A. McClure, J. J. Rack, P. G. Van Patten, M. Odoi, M. J. Knapp, “Quenching Mechanism of Zn(salicylaldimine) by Nitroaromatics,” Inorg. Chem. 2008, 47, 6203-6211.

7.    T. Krebs, H. L. Tan, G. Andersson, H. Morgner, and P. G. Van Patten, “Increased Layer Interdiffusion in Polyelectrolyte Films upon Annealing in Water and Aqueous Salt Solutions,” Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2006, 8, 5462-5468.

8.    G. Q. Pan, M. E. Kordesch, and P. G. Van Patten, “Room Temperature Synthesis of GaN Nanopowder,” Chem. Mater. 2006, 18, 5392-5394.

9.    G. Q. Pan, M. E. Kordesch, and P. G. Van Patten, “New Pyrolysis Route to GaN Quantum Dots,” Chem. Mater. 2006, 18, 3915-3917.

10. D. G. Wu, M. E. Kordesch, and P. G. Van Patten, “A New Class of Capping Ligands for Synthesis of CdSe Nanocrystals,” Chem. Mater. 2005, 17, 6436-6441.

11. H. L. Tan, T. Krebs, G. Andersson, D. Neff, M. Norton, H. Morgner, “Internal Structure of Polyelectrolyte Multilayers Probed via Neutral Impact Collision Ion Scattering Spectroscopy,” Langmuir 2005, 21, 2598-2604.

12. P. G. Van Patten, “Metal-Polymer Nanocomposites Edited by Luigi Nicolais and Gianfranco Carotenuto (National Research Council, Naples, Italy). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: Hoboken, NJ. 2005. xiv + 300 pp. $99.95. ISBN 0-471-47131-3.” (Book Review) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 5728-5728.

13. H. L. Tan, M. J. McMurdo, G. Pan, P. G. Van Patten, “Temperature Dependence of Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Assembly,” Langmuir 2003, 19, 9311-9314.

14. H. Meng, J. Zheng, A. J. Lovinger, B.-C. Wang, P. G. Van Patten, Z. Bao, “Oligofluorene-thiophene Derivatives as High-Performance Semiconductors for Organic Thin Film Transistors,” Chem. Mater. 2003, 15, 1778-1787.

15. H. H. Richardson, P. G. Van Patten, D. R. Richardson, M. E. Kordesch, “AC Thin-Film Electroluminescent Devices Grown on Plastic Substrates Using an Amorphous AlN:Tb3+ Phosphor,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 2002, 80, 2207-2209.

16. J. Zheng, M. S. Stevenson, R. S. Hikida, P. G. Van Patten, “Influence of pH on Dendrimer-Protected Nanoparticles,” J. Phys. Chem. B 2002, 106, 1252-1255.

17. M. L. Caldwell, P. G. Van Patten, M. E. Kordesch, H. H. Richardson, “Visible Luminescent Activation of Amorphous AlN:Eu Thin-Film Phosphors with Oxygen,” MRS Internet J. Nitride Semicond. Res. 2001, 6, 13:1-5.

18. A. L. Martin, C. M. Spalding, V. I. Dimitrova, P. G. Van Patten, M. L. Caldwell, M. E. Kordesch, H. H. Richardson, “Visible Emission from Amorphous AlN Thin-Film Phosphors with Cu, Mn, or Cr,” J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 2001, 19, 1894-1897.

19. V. I. Dimitrova, P. G. Van Patten, H. Richardson, M. E. Kordesch, “Photo-, Cathodo-, and Electroluminescence Studies of Sputter Deposited AlN:Er Thin Films,” Appl. Surf. Sci. 2001, 175-176, 480-483.

20. M. L. Caldwell, A. L. Martin, V. I. Dimitrova, P. G. Van Patten, M. E. Kordesch, H. H. Richardson, “Emission Properties of an Amorphous AlN:Cr3+ Thin-Film Phosphor,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 2001, 78, 1246-1248.

21. V. I. Dimitrova, P. G. Van Patten, H. H. Richardson, M. E. Kordesch, “Visible Emission from Electroluminescent Devices Using an Amorphous AlN:Er3+ Thin-Film Phosphor,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 2000, 77, 478-479.

22. P. G. Van Patten, A. P. Shreve, and R. J. Donohoe, “Structural and Photophysical Properties of a Water-Soluble Porphyrin Associated with Polycations in Solution and Electrostatically-Assembled Ultrathin Films,” J. Phys. Chem. B 2000, 104, 5986-5992.

23. J. Chen, M. A. Reed, C. L. Asplund, A. M. Cassell, M. L. Myrick,  A. M. Rawlett, J. M. Tour, P. G. Van Patten “Placement of Conjugated Oligomers in an Alkanethiol Matrix by Scanned Probe Microscope Lithography,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 1999, 75, 624-626.

24. J. D. Noll, M. A. Nicholson, P. G. Van Patten, C.-W. Chung, and M. L. Myrick, “Template Electropolymerization of Polypyrrole Nanostructures on Highly Ordered Pyrolytic Graphite Step and Pit Defects,” J. Electrochem. Soc. 1998, 145, 3320-3328.

25. P. G. Van Patten, A. P. Shreve, J. S. Lindsey, and R. J. Donohoe, “Energy Transfer Modeling for the Rational Design of Multiporphyrin Light-Harvesting Arrays,” J. Phys. Chem. B. 1998, 102, 4209-4216.

26. P. G. Van Patten, J. D. Noll, and M. L. Myrick, “Comment on ‘Formation of Holes in Alkanethiol Monolayers on Gold,’” J. Phys. Chem. B 1997, 101, 7874-7875.

27. P. G. Van Patten, J. D. Noll, and M. L. Myrick, “Spark-Gap Atomic Emission Microscopy 2.  Improvements in Resolution,” J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 1997, 15, 282-286.

28. P. G. Van Patten, J. D. Noll, M. L. McLester, Y.-G. Kim, and M. L. Myrick, “Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Under Polar Liquids with Uncoated Tips,” Langmuir 1997, 13, 365-368.

29. P. G. Van Patten, J. D. Noll, M. L. Myrick, C. R. Li, T. S. Sudarshan, “Spark-Gap Atomic Emission Microscopy,” J. Phys. Chem. 1996, 100, 3646-3651.

30. J. D. Noll, P. G. Van Patten, M. A. Nicholson, K. S. Booksh, and M. L. Myrick, “Flow Injection System for the Scanning Tunneling Microscope,” Rev. Sci. Instrum. 1995, 66, 4150-4156.

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Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship (2008)

Jeanette Grasselli-Brown Teaching Award (2004)

American Vacuum Society National Award for Graduate Research (1995)

University of South Carolina Award for Excellence in Research (1995)

American Vacuum Society Applied Surface Science Division Student Award (1995)

Patents:

1.     P. G. Van Patten and G. Q. Pan, “A Direct Pyrolysis Route to GaN Quantum Dots,” US patent number 7,488,384.

2.     P. G. Van Patten and G. Q. Pan, “Room Temperature Synthesis of GaN Nanopowder,” US patent number 7,641,880.

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