David G. Whitten
Contact
whitten@unm.edu
Phone: (505) 277-5736
Fax: (505) 277-1292
Physical Address
Room
2041 B
Centennial Engineering Center

Distinguished Professor
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Associate Director
Center for Biomedical Engineering
Research Group Website
Curriculum Vitae
Education
Postdoctoral. California Institute of Technology Physical Organic Chem, 1965-1966
Ph.D. The Johns Hopkins University Organic Chemistry, 1963
M.A. The Johns Hopkins University Organic Chemistry, 1961
A.B. The Johns Hopkins University Organic Chemistry, 1959
Biography
David Whitten has had a long career in academia at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), the University of Rochester and the University of New Mexico. He also spent more than 2 years at Los Alamos before starting a company (QTL Biosystems) with a colleague from Los Alamos. His research is currently focused on conjugated polyelectrolytes and their counterpart small oligomers as antimicrobials and a basis for fluorescent sensors. He continues to study photochemical and photophysical properties of these compounds and materials, a career long aspect of his work.
Professional Experience
- 2016, Distinguished Professor, Chemical & Biological Engineering and Department of Chemistry • University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM.
- 2005 - Present: Co-Director, Center for Biomedical Engineering • University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM.
- 2005 - 2016: Professor, Department of Chemical & Nuclear Engineering and Department of Chemistry • University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM.
- 2000 - 2004: Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry • Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.
- 2000 - 2005: Cofounder and Chief Technical Officer, QTL Biosystems, LLC.
- 1997-Present: Editor-in-Chief, Langmuir.
- 1995-97: Chair, Department of Chemistry • University of Rochester, Rochester, NY.
- 1995-97: Technical Staff Member, Los Alamos National Laboratory.
- 1989-95: Director, NSF Center for Photoinduced Charge Transfer• University of Rochester, Rochester, NY.
- 1988-91: Chair, Department of Chemistry • University of Rochester, Rochester, NY.
- 1983-97: C. E. Kenneth Mees Professor • University of Rochester, Rochester, NY.
- 1980-83: M. A. Smith Professor • University of North Carolina.
- 1975-76: Vice Chairman, Department of Chemistry •University of North Carolina.
- 1973-80: Professor, Department of Chemistry •University of North Carolina.
- 1973-80: Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry •University of North Carolina.
- 1973-80: Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry •University of North Carolina.
Selected Publications:
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Fluorescent Cellulose Wipe as a New and Sustainable Light-Activated Antibacterial and Antiviral Agent, Z Zhang, DG Whitten, A Kell, ACS Materials Letters 4, 356-362, 2022.
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Understanding the Photochemical Properties of Polythiophene Polyelectrolyte Soft Aggregates with Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate for Antimicrobial Activity, MY Livshits, J Yang, F Maghsoodi, A Scheberl, SM Greer, MI Khalil, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 13 (47), 55953-55965, 2021.
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Substituted thiophene oligomers and polymers, DG Whitten, D Brown, J Yang, E Strach, M Khalil, US Patent 11,154,059, 2021.
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Rapid and Effective Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 with a Cationic Conjugated Oligomer with Visible Light: Studies of Antiviral Activity in Solutions and on Supports, K Kaya, M Khalil, B Fetrow, H Fritz, P Jagadesan, V Bondu, L Ista, EY Chi, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2021.
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Remembering Françoise Winnik, GC Walker, KS Schanze, DG Whitten, Langmuir 37 (25), 7627-7629, 2021
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Controlled and Selective Photo-oxidation of Amyloid-β Fibrils by Oligomeric p-Phenylene Ethynylenes, AM Fanni, D Okoye, FA Monge, J Hammond, F Maghsoodi, TD Martin, bioRxiv, 2021.
Teaching Interests
- Biomedical engineering research practices
- Biosensors
- Ethics and scientific writing
Research Interests
- Antimicrobial activity of conjugated polyelectrolytes
- New biosensors based on quenching or enhancement of fluorescence
- Synthesis and study of conjugated oligomeric phenylene ethynylene derivatives
Center/Laboratory/Program Affiliations
- Center for Biomedical Engineering