Highlighting Prominent African American Chemists
The history of chemistry is full of important African American Chemists. But so is the present! “Diversity, inclusion, and respect” is one of the core values of the American Chemical Society, so in honor of African American History Month, ACS Publications is saluting the work of seven African American chemists whose work is pushing their respective disciplines forward. Click on the names below to learn more about their accomplishments and their research.
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Malika Jeffries-EL
Malika Jeffries-El is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Boston University. She was an ACS Fellow in 2018, and recipient of the Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences.
What’s your proudest achievement so far in the field of chemistry?
Scientifically, I am proud of my ability to design useful materials and develop the synthetic routes needed to make them. I have also had to evolve from being an organic chemist to a materials chemist to fully develop our materials. Personally, I am most proud of the people I have been able to mentor and train in my lab. I have had the opportunity to work with an amazingly diverse group of people who have gone on to great scientific careers in chemistry.
What’s a recent ACS paper that you’d like to highlight?
In this work, we evaluate the impact of fluorination on the optical and electronic properties of a series of organic semiconductors. Such systems are of interest for the development of blue-light emitting OLEDs. I am particularly happy with the work because it was part of a special issue in honor of National Organization of Black Chemist and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) founder William Jackson.
Evaluating the Impact of Fluorination on the Electro-optical Properties of Cross-Conjugated Benzobisoxazoles
J. Phys. Chem. A 2019, 123, 7, 1343-1352
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.8b07778
