INSP

INSP

Utterback James

Utterback James

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James Utterback
CNRS Researcher (Chargé de Recherche)
Team(s) Chemical Physics and Dynamics of Surfaces

James K. Utterback

Institut des NanoSciences de Paris (INSP)
Sorbonne Université
4 Place Jussieu
Email: james.utterback -at- insp.jussieu.fr (or @sorbonne-universite.fr)

 

Short CV
CNRS Researcher | Researcher; Institute of Nanosciences of Paris; Sorbonne University | 2023 – present
Postdoctoral Fellow | Beckman Postdoctoral Fellow; University of California, Berkeley | 2019 – 2022
PhD in Chemistry | NSF Graduate Research Fellow; University of Colorado, Boulder | 2013 – 2018
B.S. in Physics | Goldwater Scholar & Undergraduate Research Fellow; University of Oregon | 2007 – 2011

 

RESEARCH INTERESTS
James Utterback’s group’s research focuses on ultrafast optical spectroscopy and microscopy of energy relaxation and transport in materials for optoelectronic applications.

 

CURRENT GROUP MEMBERS

Cédric Leau
Postdoc 2025
(PhD Collège de France, Jean-Marie Tarascon)

Matias Feldman
PhD Student 2023 – 2026

Ilaria Delbono
PhD Student 2023 – 2026
(Joint student with University of Padua, Italy)

Francesco De Bellis
Master’s Intern 2024, 2025

Séverin Barthel 
Master’s Intern 2025

 

PUBLICATIONS

Google Scholar Profile – James K. Utterback

Highlighted Publications

1. F. De Bellis, M. Feldman, I. Delbono, S. Royer, Y. Prado, H. Cruguel, E. Lacaze, E. Lhuillier, J. K. Utterback* “Simultaneous electronic and thermal signatures in pump–probe spectroscopy of semiconductor nanocrystal films” Nano Lett. 2025, 25(18), 7317–7325.
 
2. M. Feldman, J. J. Barrios-Capuchino, H. Cruguel, S. Royer, C. Abadie, D. Fournier, E. Lhuillier, J. Ordonez-Miranda, E. Lacaze, F. Schulz, J. K. Utterback* “Inverted Thickness Dependence of Thermal Transport in Nanocrystal Supercrystals Down to the Monolayer” Adv. Funct. Mater. 2025, 2504949. Feldman et al Adv. Funct. Mater.
   
3. M. Feldman, C. Vernier, R. Nag, J. J. Barrios-Capuchino, S. Royer, H. Cruguel, E. Lacaze, E. Lhuillier, D. Fournier, F. Schulz, C. Hamon, H. Portalès, J. K. Utterback* “Anisotropic Thermal Transport in Tunable Self-Assembled Nanocrystal Supercrystals” ACS Nano 2024, 18(50), 34341–34352. Utterback TOC ACS Nano
 
4. J. K. Utterback,* A. J. King, L. Belman-Wells, D. M. Larson, L. Hamerlynck, A. Z. Weber, N. S. Ginsberg* “Operando label-free optical imaging of solution-phase ion transport and electrochemistry.” ACS Energy Lett. 2023. 8(4), 1785–1792. Utterback TOC ACS Energy Letters
 
5. J. K. Utterback, A. Sood, I. Coropceanu, B. Guzelturk, D. V. Talapin, A. M. Lindenberg, N. S. Ginsberg “Nanoscale disorder generates subdiffusive heat transport in self-assembled nanocrystal films” Nano Lett. 2021, 21(8), 3540–3547.  
6. J. K. Utterback, A. N. Grennell, M. B. Wilker, O. M. Pearce, J. D. Eaves, G. Dukovic* “Observation of trapped-hole diffusion on the surfaces of CdS nanorods.” Nature Chem. 2016, 8, 1061–1066.  

 

Papers Under Review

  1. I. Delbono, P. J. Schroeder, B. Kalinić, C. Scian, I. Alonzo Zapata, F. Dumas-Bouchiat, C. Champeaux, T. Cesca, G. Mattei, D. Fournier, J. K. Utterback*, Jose Ordonez Miranda* “VO2 Thin-Film Transducers for Steady-State Thermal Conductivity Measurements. (Under Review) 2025.

 

Further Publications

  1. H. R. Keller, J. K. Utterback, H. Hamby, C. R. Lubner, D. W. Mulder, P. W. King, G. Dukovic* “Rate Limiting Regimes in Photochemical H2 Generation by Complexes of Colloidal CdS Nanorods and Hydrogenase” Chem 2025, 11, 102594.
  2. Mastrippolito, A. Colle, C. Gureghian, T. Gemo, A. Khalili, M. Cavallo, E. Bossavit, H. Zhang, Y. Ma, Y. Prado, J. K. Utterback, G. Vincent, N. Péré-Laperne, D. Pei, P. Dudin, J. Avila, D. Pierucci, E. Lhuillier*, “Graphene as Infrared and Electron Transparent Electrode Applied to the Design of Narrow Bandgap Nanocrystal-Based Photodiode” Adv. Optical Mater. 2025, 2500708.
  3. C. P. N. Tanner, V. R. K. Wall, M. Gababa, J. Portner, A. Jeong, M. J. Hurley, N. Leonard, J. G. Raybin, J. K. Utterback, A. Kim, A. Fluerasu, Y. Sun, J. Moeller, A. Zozulya, W. Jo, A. Madsen, D. V. Talapin, S. W Teitelbaum, N. S. Ginsberg* “Suppressed self-diffusion of nanoscale constituents of a complex liquid” ArXiv 2024. https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.17756
  4. C. P. N. Tanner, V. R. K. Wall, J. Portner, A. Jeong, A. Das, J. K. Utterback, L. M. Hamerlynck, J. G. Raybin, M. J. Hurley, N. Leonard, R. B. Wai, J. A. Tan, M. Gababa, C. Zhu, E. Schaible, C. J. Tassone, D. T. Limmer, S. W. Teitelbaum, D. V. Talapin, N. S. Ginsberg* “Enhancing nanocrystal superlattice self-assembly near a metastable liquid binodal” ArXiv 2024. https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.16808
  5. H. Zhang, Y. Prado*, R. Alchaar, H. Lehouelleur, M. Cavallo, T. H. Dang, A. Khalili, E. Bossavit, C. Dabard, N. Ledos, M. G. Silly, A. Madouri, D. Fournier, J. K. Utterback, D. Pierucci, V. Parahyba, P. Potet, D. Darson, S. Ithurria, B. Szafran, B. T. Diroll, J. I. Climente, E. Lhuillier* “Infrared Imaging using thermally stable HgTe/CdS nanocrystals” Nano Lett. 2024, 24(16), 5039–5046.
  6. H. Zhang, N. Ledos, M. Cavallo, E. Bossavit, A. Khalili, L. Curti, X. Z. Xu, E. Dandeu, J. K. Utterback, S. Ithurria, C. Delerue, D. Pierucci, P. Dudin, J. Avila, M. G. Silly, E. Lhuillier* “Photoemission Insight on Narrow Band Gap PbS Quantum Dots Relevant for Infrared Imaging” J. Phys. Chem. C 2024, 128(5), 2028–2036.
  7. M. J. Hurley, C. P. N. Tanner, J. Portner, J. K. Utterback, I. Coropceanu, G. J. Williams, A. Das, A. Fluerasu, Y. Sun, S. Song, L. M. Hamerlynck, A. H. Miller, P. Bhattacharyya, D. V. Talapin, N. S. Ginsberg,* S. W. Teitelbaum* “In situ coherent X-ray scattering reveals polycrystalline structure and discrete annealing events in strongly-coupled nanocrystal superlattices” Phys. Rev. Res. 2024, 6(2), 023119.
  8. N. Ledos, T. H. Dang, M. Cavallo, H. Zhang, E. Bossavit, A. Khalili, L. Nguyen Do, C. Gréboval, S. Ithurria, J. K Utterback, D. Pierucci, G. Vincent, A. Vasanelli, E. Lhuillier* “Stop Blaming Hopping Conduction in Nanocrystal Arrays, Use it for Active Photonics!” Adv. Mater. Technol. 2024, 9, 2301463.
  9. C. P. N. Tanner, J. K. Utterback, J. Portner; I. Coropceanu, A. Das, C. J. Tassone, S. W. Teitelbaum, D. T. Limmer, D.V. Talapin, N. S.Ginsberg* “In situ X-ray scattering reveals coarsening rates of superlattices self-assembled from electrostatically stabilized metal nanocrystals depend non-monotonically on driving force.” ACS Nano 2024, 18(7), 5778–5789.
  10. A. Khalili, M. Cavallo, E. Bossavit, R. Alchaar, T. H. Dang, C. Dabard, H. Zhang, N. Ledos, V. Parahyba, P. Potet, K. Utterback, Y. Prado, M. G. Silly, P. Dudin, J. Avila, D. Pierucci, E. Lhuillier* “In Situ Mapping of the Vectorial Electric Field within a Nanocrystal-Based Focal Plane Array Using Photoemission Microscopy.” ACS Appl. Electron. Mater. 2023, 5(8), 4377–4384
  11. M. Cavallo, E. Bossavit, S. Matzen,  T. Maroutian,  R. Alchaar,  T. H. Dang,  A. Khalili,  C. Dabard,  H. Zhang,  Y. Prado,  C. Abadie,  J. K Utterback,  J. F. Dayen,  M. G. Silly,  P. Dudin,  J. Avila,  E. Lhuillier* D. Pierucci. “Coupling Ferroelectric to colloidal Nanocrystals as a Generic Strategy to Engineer the Carrier Density Landscape.” Adv. Funct. Mater. 2023, 33, 2300846.
  12. M. Cavallo, R. Alchaar, E. Bossavit, H. Zhang, T. H. Dang, A. Khalili, Y. Prado, M. G. Silly, J. K. Utterback, S. Ithurria, P. Dudin, J. Avila, D. Pierucci and E. Lhuillier* “Inside a nanocrystal-based photodiode using photoemission microscopy.” Nanoscale 2023, 15, 9440–9448.
  13. T. H. Dang, C. Abadie, A. Chu, M. Cavallo, A. Khalili, C. Dabard, E. Bossavit, H. Zhang, Y. Prado, D. Pierucci, J. K. Utterback, Y. Todorov, C. Sirtori, J. Jaeck, G. Vincent, A. Vasanelli, B. Fix, E. Lhuillier* “Bias Reconfigurable Photoresponse of an Infrared Nanocrystal Film Integrated into a Coupled Fabry-Perot Resonator.” ACS Photonics 2023, 10(5), 1601–1607.
  14. H. Zhang, V. Guilloux, E, Bossavit, N. Fu, C. Dabard, M. Cavallo, T. H. Dang, A. Khalili, C. Abadie, R. Alchaar, C. Gréboval, X. Z. Xu, J. K. Utterback, D. Pierucci, S. Ithurria, J. I. Climente, T. Barisien, E. Lhuillier* “Visible and Infrared Nanocrystal-Based Light Modulator with CMOS Compatible Bias Operation” ACS Photonics 2023, 10(2), 430–436.
  15. M. Cavallo, E. Bossavit, H. Zhang, C. Dabard, T. H. Dang, A. Khalili, C. Abadie, R. Alchaar, D. Mastrippolito, Y. Prado, L. Becerra, M. Rosticher, M. G. Silly, J. K. Utterback, S. Ithurria, J. Avila, D. Pierucci, E. Lhuillier* “Mapping the Energy Landscape from a Nanocrystal-Based Field Effect Transistor under Operation Using Nanobeam Photoemission Spectroscopy.” Nano Lett. 2023, 23(4), 1363–1370.
  16. H. Zhang, R. Alchaar, Y. Prado, A. Khalili, C. Gréboval, M. Cavallo, E. Bossavit, C. Dabard, T. H. Dang, C. Abadie, C. Methivier, D. Darson, V. Parahyba, P. Potet, J. Ramade, M. G. Silly, J. K. Utterback, D. Pierucci, S. Ithurria, E. Lhuillier* “A Material Perspective on HgTe Nanocrystal-based Short Wave Infrared Focal Plane Arrays.” Chem. Mater. 2022, 34(24), 10964–10972.
  17. C. Abadie, L. Paggi, A. Fabas, A. Khalili, T. H. Dang, C. Dabard, M. Cavallo, R. Alchaar, H. Zhang, Y. Prado, N. Bardou, C. Dupuis, X. Z. Xu, S. Ithurria, D. Pierucci, J. K. Utterback, B. Fix, G. Vincent, P. Bouchon, E. Lhuillier* “Helmholtz Resonator Applied to Nanocrystal-Based Infrared Sensing.” Nano Lett. 2022, 22(21), 8779–8785
  18. P. Rastogi, E. Izquierdo, C. Gréboval, M. Cavallo, A. Chu, T. H. Dang, A. Khalili, C. Abadie, R. Alchaar, S. Pierini, H. Cruguel, N. Witkowski, J. K. Utterback, T. Brule, X. Z. Xu, P. Hollander, A. Ouerghi, B. Gallas, M. G. Silly, E. Lhuillier* “Extended Short-Wave Photodiode Based on CdSe/HgTe/Ag2Te Stack with High Internal Efficiency.” J. Phys. Chem. C 2022, 126(32), 13720–13728.
  19. S. Pierini, F. Capitani, M. Scimeca, S. Kozlov, D. Pierucci, R. Alchaar, C. Abadie, A. Khalili, M. Cavallo, T. H. Dang, H. Zhang, E. Bossavit, C. Gréboval, J. Avila, B. Baptiste, S. Klotz, A. Sahu, C. Feuillet-Palma, X. Z. Xu, A. Ouerghi, S. Ithurria, J. K. Utterback, S. Sauvage, E. Lhuillier* “Vanishing Confinement Regime in Terahertz HgTe Nanocrystals Studied under Extreme Conditions of Temperature and Pressure.” J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2022, 13, 6919–6926.
  20. T. H. Dang, A. Khalili, C. Abadie, C. Gréboval, M. Cavallo, H. Zhang, E. Bossavit, J. K. Utterback, E. Dandeu, Y. Prado, G. Vincent, S. Ithurria, Y. Todorov, C. Sirtori, A. Vasanelli, E. Lhuillier* “Nanocrystal-Based Active Photonics Device through Spatial Design of Light-Matter Coupling.” ACS Photonics 2022, 9(7), 2528–2535.
  21. J. Li, Z. Chen, S. Saha, J. K. Utterback, M. Aubrey, R. Yuan, H. Weaver, N. Ginsberg, K. Chapman, M. Filip, H. Karunadasa* “Zwitterions in 3D Perovskites: Organosulfide-Halide Perovskites.” JACS 2022, 144(49) 22403–22408.
  22. I. Coropceanu, E. M. Janke, J. Portner, D. Haubold, T. D. Nguyen, A. Das, C. Tanner, J. K. Utterback, S. Teitelbaum¸ M. Hudson, N. Sarma, A. M. Hinkle, C. Tassone, A. Eychmüller, D. Limmer, M. Olvera de la Cruz, N. Ginsberg, D. V. Talapin* “Self-assembly of nanocrystals into strongly electronically coupled all-inorganic supercrystalline solids.” Science 2022, 375(6587), 1422-1426.
  23. B. Guzelturk, J. K. Utterback, I. Coropceanu, V. Kamysbayev, E. M. Janke, M. Zajac, N. Yazdani, B. L. Cotts, S. Park, A. Sood, M. F. Lin, A. H. Reid, M. E. Kozina, X. Shen, S. P. Weathersby, V. Wood, A. Salleo, X. Wang, D. V. Talapin, N. S. Ginsberg, A. M. Lindenberg* “Nonequilibrium thermodynamics of colloidal gold nanocrystals monitored by ultrafast electron diffraction and optical scattering microscopy.” ACS Nano 2020, 14(4), 4792–4804.
  24. J. K. Utterback, R. P. Cline, K. E. Shulenberger, J. D. Eaves, G. Dukovic* “The motion of trapped holes on nanocrystal surfaces.” J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2020, 11(20), 9876−9885.
  25. J. K. Utterback, J. L. Ruzicka, H. R. Keller, L. M. Pellows, G. Dukovic* “Electron transfer from semiconductor nanocrystals to redox enzymes.” Annu. Rev. Phys. Chem. 2020, 71, 335–359.
  26. J. K. Utterback, J. L. Ruzicka, H. Hamby, J. D. Eaves, G. Dukovic* “Temperature-dependent transient absorption spectroscopy elucidates trapped-hole dynamics in CdS and CdSe nanorods.” J. Phys. Chem. Lett.2019, 10, 2782−2787.
  27. J. K. Utterback,* M. B. Wilker, D. W. Mulder, P. W. King, J. D. Eaves, G. Dukovic.* “Quantum efficiency of charge transfer with heterogeneous relaxation: The case of electron transfer from CdS nanorods to hydrogenase.”J. Phys. Chem. C 2019, 123(1), 886–896. (*Co-corresponding authors)
  28. J. K. Utterback, H. Hamby, O. M. Pearce, J. D. Eaves, G. Dukovic* “Trapped-hole diffusion in photoexcited CdSe nanorods.” J. Phys. Chem. C2018, 122(29), 16974–16982.
  29. R. P. Cline, J. K. Utterback, S. E. Strong, G. Dukovic, J. D. Eaves* “On the nature of trapped-hole states in CdS nanocrystals and the mechanism of their diffusion.” J. Phys. Chem. Lett.2018, 9(12), 3532–3537.
  30. M. B. Wilker, J. K. Utterback, S. Greene, K. A. Brown, D. W. Mulder, P. W. King, G. Dukovic* “The role of surface-capping ligands in photoexcited electron transfer between CdS nanorods and [FeFe] hydrogenase and the subsequent H2 generation.” J. Phys. Chem. C. 2018, 122(1), 741–750.
  31. A. N. Grennell,† J. K. Utterback,† O. M. Pearce, M. B. Wilker, G. Dukovic* “Relationships Between Exciton Dissociation and Slow Recombination Within ZnSe/CdS and CdSe/CdS Dot-in-Rod Heterostructures.” Nano Lett. 2017, 17, 3764–3774. (†These authors contributed equally)
  32. J. K. Utterback, M. B. Wilker, K. A. Brown, P. W. King, J. D. Eaves, G. Dukovic* “Competition between electron transfer, trapping, and recombination in CdS nanorod–hydrogenase complexes.”Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2015, 17(8), 5538–5542.
  33. A. Lott, A. Perdomo-Ortiz, J. K. Utterback, A. Aspuru-Guzik, A. H. Marcus* “Conformation of self-assembled porphyrin dimers in liposome vesicles by phase-modulation 2D fluorescence spectroscopy.” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2011, 108(40), 16521–16526.
  34. T. Campbell, J. D. Cook, B. A. Coombs, E. P. Fuller, J. L. Hardwick,* S. M. Hurley, L. K. Ho, P. A. Kovac, E. J. Robertson, E. N. Senning, J. K. Utterback†, R. S. Wiser, “Temperature dependence of pressure broadening and shifts of acetylene at 1550 nm by N2.” Mol. Phys. 2011, 109(17–18), 2199. (†Authors in alphabetical order)

 

HONORS & AWARDS
Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Sciences (Postdoc Fellow), 2020
Camille and Henry Dreyfus Environmental Chemistry Fellow (Postdoc Fellow), 2019
Best Poster Award, Nature Conference: Visualizing Dynamics, Tempe AZ (Postdoc Fellow), 2019
Best of the Young Meeting, International Solar Fuels Conference, San Diego CA, 2017
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow (NSF GRFP) (Graduate Fellow), 2015
Excellence in Teaching Award, TA for General Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, 2014
Oregon Six: Selected for “Oregon Six” of Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society, University of Oregon, 2011
Undergraduate Research Fellow, Center on Teaching and Learning, University of Oregon, 2010
Barry M. Goldwater Scholar (Undergraduate Fellow), 2009
NASA Space Grant Undergraduate Scholar (Undergraduate Fellow), 2008

Publications

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