Tanner Kimberly

Biography

Dr. Tanner Kimberly grew up in Southern California, where his journey in science began. He attended Sonoma State University, a small liberal arts university, where he double-majored in chemistry and physics. During his time at Sonoma State, he participated in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at North Carolina State University in the summer of 2017—a pivotal experience that helped shape his path toward becoming a researcher. After graduating with his bachelor’s degrees in 2019, he continued his academic journey at the University of California, Davis, where he studied thermoelectric nanomaterials under the supervision of Professor Susan Kauzlarich. Following the completion of his Ph.D. in chemistry, he pursued a two-year postdoctoral position at Purdue University, exploring plasmonic and catalytic nanomaterials under the supervision of Professor Christina Li. Today, Dr. Kimberly is an assistant professor of chemistry at Notre Dame of Maryland University, where he combines teaching and research at the intersection of nanomaterials and chemical education. Outside the lab and classroom, he enjoys running and spending time with his two cats.

Education

• B.S. Chemistry from Sonoma State University
• B.A. Physics from Sonoma State University
• Ph.D. Chemistry from University of California, Davis
• Post-doctoral Scholar in Chemistry at Purdue University

Research

Interests

• Synthesis and post-synthetic modification of inorganic nanomaterials for applications in energy and technology
• Incorporating nanoscience in chemical education.

Publications

1. Kimberly, T. Q.; Bhattacharya, D.; Doyle, O. P.; Rana, E. M.; Li, C. W. Synthesis and Surface Functionalization of Ag-Au Alloy Nanoparticles with Enhanced Plasmonic Properties. Manuscript Submitted. 2026
2. Kimberly, T. Q.; Wang, B.; Frasch, M. H.; Bustillo, K. C.; Yu, D.; and Kauzlarich, S. M. Modulating the Electronic Transport of 2D Sb2Te3 Nanoplates by Coinage Metal Intercalation. Nano Lett. 2025, 25, 9040−9046
3. Kimberly, T. Q.; Frasch, M. H.; and Kauzlarich, S. M. Colloidal Synthesis of TwoDimensional Nanocrystals by the Polyol Route. Dalton Trans., 2024, 53, 1328013297.
4. Kimberly, T. Q.; Wang, E. Y. C.; Navarro, G. D.; Qi, X.; Ciesielski, K. M.; Toberer, E. S.; and Kauzlarich, S. M. Into the Void: Single Nanopore in Colloidally Synthesized Bi2Te3 Nanoplates with Ultralow Lattice Thermal Conductivity. Chem. Mater. 2024, 36, 6618−6626.
5. Hauble, A. K.; Kimberly, T. Q.; Ciesielski, K. M.; Mrachek, N.; Wright, M. G.; Taufour, V.; Yu, P.; Toberer, E. S.; and Kauzlarich, S. M. β-Phase Yb5Sb3Hx: Magnetic and Thermoelectric Properties Traversing from an Electride to a Semiconductor. Inorg. Chem. 2024, 63, 18, 8109– 8119.
6. Kimberly, T. Q.; Ciesielski, K. M.; Qi, X.; Toberer, E. S.; and Kauzlarich, S. M. High Thermoelectric Performance in 2D Sb2Te3 and Bi2Te3 Nanoplate Composites Enabled by Energy Carrier Filtering and Low Thermal Conductivity. ACS Appl. Electron. Mater. 2024, 6, 2816−2825.