Christopher Whitehead

Publications & Recent Funding

• Publications

  ^ indicates Union undergraduate co-author

  1. Wilson, H.; Van den Eynden, D.; Parambil, A. R. U.; Mullaliu, A.; Seno, C.; Mathew, J. P.; Pokratath, R.; Whitehead, C. B.; Parac-Vogt, T. N.; De Roo, J. Asymmetric Trinuclear Intermediates in Metal Oxo Cluster Formation: Kinetic Evidence for a Two-Step Esterification Mechanism. ACS Nano 2026, 20, 6156-6166. DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5c20350
  2. Robertson, E. J.; Yang, C.; ^Soto Carrillo, A.; ^James, C.; Whitehead, C> B. Incorporating Nanoparticles with Varying Diameters into Freely Floating Nanosheets via a Biphasic Monolayer Adsorption Assembly Mechanism. Langmuir 2025, 41, 33892-33900. DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.5c04350
  3. Seno, C.; Whitehead, C. B.; Salazar Marcano, D. E.; Chaon, I.; De Roo, J. From Kinetics to Molecular-Level Insights into Group 4 Metal Oxide Nanocrystal Synthesis. ACS Mater. Au 2025, 5, 709-717. DOI: 10.1021/acsmaterialsau.5c0032
  4. MacHale, L. T.; Whitehead, C. B.; Finke, R. G. Platinum Nanoparticle Formation Kinetics and Mechanistic Studies: Evidence for an Alternative 4-Step Mechanism Involving Size-Dependent Growth and Chloride Anion and Room-Dust-Dependent Nucleation. J. Phys. Chem. C 2024, 128, 13083-13096. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.4c02718
  5. Long, D.; Bangerth, W.; Handwerk, D. R.; Whitehead, C. B.; Shipman, P. D.; Finke, R. G. Estimating Reaction Parameters in Mechanism-Enabled Population Balance Models of Nanoparticle Size Distributions: A Bayesian Inverse Problem Approach. J. Comp. Chem. 2022, 43, 43-56. DOI: 10.1002/jcc.2670
  6. Whitehead, C. B.; Finke, R. G. Particle Formation Mechanisms Supported By In Situ Synchrotron XAFS and SAXS Studies: A Review of Metal, Metal-Oxide, Semiconductor and Selected Other Nanoparticle Formation Reactions. Mater. Adv. 2021, 2, 6532-6568. DOI: 10.1039/D1MA00222H
  7. Whitehead, C. B.; Handwerk, D. R.; Shipman, P. D; Li, Y.; Frenkel, A. I.; Ingham, B.; Kirby, N. M.; Finke, R. G. Nanoparticle Formation Kinetics, Mechanisms, and Accurate Rate Constants: Examination of a Second-Generation Ir(0)n Particle Formation System by Five Monitoring Methods Plus Initial Mechanism-Enabled Population Balance Modeling. J. Phys. Chem. C 2021, 125, 13449-13476. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.1c03475
  8. Whitehead, C. B.; Özkar, S.; Finke, R. G. LaMer’s 1950 Model of Particle Formation: A Review and Critical Analysis of Its Classical Nucleation and Fluctuation Theory Basis, of Competing Models and Mechanisms for Phase-Changes and Particle Formation, and then of Its Application to Silver Halide, Semiconductor, Metal, and Metal-Oxide Nanoparticles. Mater. Adv. 2021, 2, 186-235. DOI: 10.1039/D0MA00439A (Selected for the 2021 Popular Advances Collection)
  9. Whitehead, C. B.; Watzky, M. A.; Finke, R. G. “Burst Nucleation” vs Autocatalytic, “Burst” Growth in Near-Monodisperse Particle-Formation Reaction. J. Phys. Chem. C 2020, 124, 24543-24554. DOI: 10.1021/cas.jpcc.0c06875
  10. Finke, R. G.; Watzky, M. A.; Whitehead, C. B. Response to “Particle Size Is a Primary Determinant for Sigmoidal Kinetics of Nanoparticle Formation: A “Disproof” of the Finke–Watzky (F-W) Nanoparticle Nucleation and Growth Mechanism”. Chem. Mater. 2020, 32, 3657-3672. DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.0c00780
  11. Handwerk, D. R.; Shipman, P. D.; Whitehead, C. B.; Özkar, S.; Finke, R. G. Particle Size Distributions via Mechanism-Enabled Population Balance Modeling. J. Phys. Chem. C 2020, 124, 4852-4880. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b11239
  12. Handwerk, D. R.; Shipman, P. D.; Whitehead, C. B.; Özkar, S.; Finke, R. G. Mechanism-Enabled Population Balance Modeling of Particle Formation en Route to Particle Average Size and Size Distribution Understand and Control. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 15827-15839. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b06364
  13. Whitehead, C. B.; Özkar, S.; Finke, R. G. LaMer’s 1950 Model for Particle Formation of Instantaneous Nucleation and Diffusion-Controlled Growth: A Historical Look at the Model’s Origins, Assumptions, Equations, and Underlying Sulfur Sol Formation Kinetics Data. Chem. Mater. 2019, 31, 7116-7132. DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.9b01273
  14. Whitehead, C. B.; Finke, R. G. Nucleation Kinetics and Molecular Mechanism in Transition-Metal Nanoparticle Formation: The Intriguing, Informative Case of a Bimetallic Precursor, {[(1,5-COD)IrI•HPO4]2}2-. Chem. Mater. 2019, 31, 2848-2862. DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.8b05335
• Recent Funding
  • Union College Faculty Research Fund: "Use of Zinc Sulfide Quantum Dot Derivatives in a Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer System." $3,000, October 2025.
  • Union College Education Research Fund: "Keeping it Hot: Coffee, Calorimetry, and Collaboration", co-PIs Christopher Whitehead & Timothy Barnum, $4,030, May 2024.
  • Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region's Bender Scientific Fund: "Zinc Sulfide Quantum Dot Sensors to Detect Heavy Metal Pollutants in Water" $12,379, October 2023.
  • National Science Foundation (CHE-2320284): "MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of a Multifunctional Thermal Analysis Instrument for Interdisciplinary Research and Research Training in Advanced Nanomaterial Development" P.I. Ellen Robertson; co-PIs Christopher Whitehead, Yijing Stehle, Ann Anderson, Mary Carroll. $224,834, August 2023.
  • Union College Faculty Research Fund: “Acquisition of a Dynamic Light Analyzer for Particle and Nanoparticle Size, Number, and Surface Charge Determination.” Christopher Whitehead (PI), Stephanie Curley (Co-PI), and Ellen Robertson (Co-PI), $9,000, February 2023.
  • Union College Education Research Fund: "Development of New Lab for CHM-260: Inorganic Chemistry." $2,570, February 2023