Randy Larsen
Chairperson and Professor

Contact

Office: SCA 425, CHE 205E
Phone: (813) 974-7925, (813) 974-4129
Email:

Links

• Curriculum Vitae

Education

B.S., University of New Mexico, 1985
Ph.D., University of New Mexico, 1990

Research

Biophysical chemistry, protein structure/function, time-resolved optical spectroscopy. We are interested in time-resolved conformational changes and thermodynamics associated with ligand binding to heme proteins, biological electron transfer, protein folding and bacterial signal transduction. We utilize both traditional time resolved optical spectroscopies (nanosecond transient absorption/fluorescence) together with novel photothermal methods (photoacoustic calorimetry and photothermal beam deflection).

Current Funding

View our currently funded projects here.

Experience

California Institute of Technology, Postdoctoral Fellow, 1990-1992
University of Hawaii-Manoa, Assistant Professor, 1992-1999
University of Hawaii-Manoa, Associate Professor, 1999-2002

Group Photo

Graduate Students

William Maza, Christi Whittington, Tarah Word

Current Courses

Recent Publications

1. "Photophysical Studies of the Trans to Cis Isomerization of the Push-Pull Molecule: 1-(pyridin-4-yl)-2-(N-methylpyrrol-2-yl)-Ethene (mepepy)", A. Mokdad, J. Belof, S. W. Yi, S. E. Shuler, M. L. McLaughlin, B. Space and R. W. Larsen, J. Phys. Chem. A. (2008), 112, 8310-8315.
2. "How Fast do Metal Organic Polyhedra Form in Solution? Kinetics of [Cu₂(5-OH-bdc)₂ L₂]₁₂ Formation in Methanol", R. W. Larsen, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2008), 130, 11246-11247.
3. "Zeolite- Metal-Organic Frameworks (ZMOFs) as Platforms For Applications: On Metalloporphyrin-Based Catalysis", M. H. Alkordi, Y. Liu, R. W. Larsen, J. F. Eubank and M. Eddaoudi, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2008), 130, 12639-12641.
4. "How Well Should the Active Site and the Specific Recognition Be Defined for Proficient Catalyses? —Effective and Cooperative Polyphenol/Catechol Oxidation and Oxidative DNA Cleavage by a Copper(II)-Binding and H-bonding Copolymer", V. Lykourinou, A. I. Hanafy, G. F. Z. da Silva, K. S. Bisht, R. W. Larsen, B. T. Livingston, A. Angerhofer, and L-J. Ming, Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. (2008), 16, 2584-2592.
5. "Photothermal Studies of CO Photodissociation from Horse radish and Soybean Peroxidases", A. Mokdad, J. Miksovska, R. W. Larsen, Biochim. Biophys. Acta (2009), 1794, 1558-1563.
6. "Kinetic and Thermodynamic Characterization of Dihydrotestosterone-Induced Conformational Perturbations in Androgen Receptor Ligand Binding Domain", R. Jasuja, J. Ulloor, C. M. Yengo, K. Choong, D. Jacobs, R. Swerdloff, J. Miksovska, R. W. Larsen, and S. Bhasin, Mol. Endo (2009), 23, 1231-1241.
7. "Co-crystal controlled solid-state synthesis of a thermally stable nicotinate analogue that sustains an isostructural series of porous metal-organic materials", J. A. Perman, K. Dubois, F. Nouar, S. Zoccali, L. Wojtas, M. Eddaoudi, R. W. Larsen and M. J. Zaworotko, Cryst. Growth. Des. (2009), 9, 5021-5023.
8. "Temperature and Concentration Control over Interpenetration in a Polymorphic Metal-Organic Material”, J. Zhang, L. Wojtas, R. W. Larsen, M. Eddaoudi and M. J. Zaworotko, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2009), 131, 17040-17041.
9. "Photothermal Studies of the Room Temperature Photoinduced Spin State Change in Fe(III)(Salten)(Mepepy) Complex", A. Mokdad and R. W. Larsen, Inorg. Chimica. Acta (2010), 363, 3338-3344.
10. "Excited State Properties of 9-Amino Acridine Adsorbed onto αZr-Phosphate Galleries", C. Vetramile, J. Permon, M. Cheney, M. J. Zaworotko, and R.W. Larsen, Spectrochim. Acta A Mol. Biomol. Spectr. (2011), 78, 648-652.
11. "Sub-Nanosecond Photolysis Studies of Fe²⁺Protoporphyrin IX Solubilized in Neat Dimethyl Sulphoxide", R. W. Larsen, Inorg. Chim. Acta (2011), 370, 45-49.
12. "Time Resolved Thermodynamics Associated with Ligand Photorelease in Heme Peroxidases and Globins: Open Access Channels versus Gated Ligand Access", C. M. Vetromile, J. Miksovska and R. W. Larsen, Biochim. Biophys. Acta (2011), Invited Review, 1814, 1065-1076.
13. "Solid State X-Ray Structural Characterization and Solution Spectroscopy of a Dodecyloxy Copper Nanoball", J. J. Perry, V. Kravstov, M. J. Zaworotko, and R. W. Larsen, Cryst. Grwth. Design (2011), 11, 3183-3189.
14. "Mimicking Heme Enzymes in the Solid State: Metal-Organic Materials with Selectively Encapsulated Heme", R. W. Larsen, L. Wojtas, J. Perman, R. K. Musselman, M. J. Zaworotko, and C. M. Vetromile, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2011), 133, 10356-10359.
15. "Solution Stability of Cu(II) Metal Organic Polyhedra", C. M. Vetromile, A. Lazano, S. Feola, and R. W. Larsen, Inorg. Chim. Acta, (2011), 378, 36-41.
16. "Ground and Excited State Properties of Zn(II) tetrakis(4-tetramethyl pyridyl) Porphyrin Specifically Encapsulated within an Zn HKUST Metal Organic Framework", R. W. Larsen, J. Miksovska, R. L. Musselman and L. Wojtas, J. Phys. Chem. A (2011), 115, 11519-11524.
17. "The Interplay of Turn Formation and Hydrophobic Interactions on the Early Kinetic Events in Protein Folding", J. J-T. Huang, R. W. Larsen and S. I. Chan, Chem. Comm. (2012), 48, 487-497.
18. "Understanding Ion Sensing in Zn(II) Porphyrins: Spectroscopic and Computational Studies of Nitrite/Nitrate Bonding", C. Whittington, W. A. Maza, H. Woodcock, and R. W. Larsen, (2012), Inorg. Chem., in press.