Picture of Ron Steer

Ron Steer B.A., Ph.D., D.Sc.

Distinguished Professor Emeritus

Chemistry professor emeritus

Office
Spinks S290

Research Area(s)

  • Photochemistry, Photophysics and Spectroscopy of Molecules, particularly those with fluorescent highly excited statess
  • Photophysics and spectroscopy of solar photovoltaic cells
  • Electronic energy pooling by excited state annihilation
  • Applied photochemistry and photophysics
  • Environmental chemistry

Publications

exciton annihilation metalloporphyrins molecular spectroscopy photophysics solar photovoltaic cells

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Journal articles published and accepted:

195. R.P. Steer, Electronic energy pooling in organic systems, a cross-disciplinary tutorial review. Can. J. Chem., 95, in press (2017).

194.  R. Rautela, N.K. Joshi, S. Novakovic, W.W.H. Wong, J.M. White, K.P. Ghiggino, M.F. Paige and R.P. Steer, Determinants of the efficiency of photon upconversion by triplet-triplet annihilation in the solid state: zinc porphyrin derivatives in PVA. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 19, 23471-23482 (2017) (NSERC, ARC)

193. N.K. Joshi, A. Polgar, R.P. Steer and M.F. Paige, White light generation using Forster resonance energy transfer between 3-hydroxyquinoline and nile red. Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 15, 609-615 (2016) (NSERC)

192. C.P. Ponce, H. Araghi, N.K. Joshi, R.P. Steer and M.F. Paige, Spectroscopic and structural studies of a surface active porphyrin in solution and in Langmuir-Blodgett films. Langmuir, 31, 13590-13599 (2015) (NSERC)

191. N. Agnihotri and R.P. Steer, DFT and TD-DFT calculations of axially substituted tin porphyrins and an ethynyl-linked tin porphyrin dimer. J. Porphyrins Phthalocyanines, 18, 1-12 (2015) in press. (NSERC)

190. A. J. Tilley, B. Robotham, R. P. Steer and K. P. Ghiggino, Sensitized non-coherent upconversion by intramolecular triplet-triplet annihilation in diphenylanthracene pendant polymers, Chem. Phys. Lett., 618, 198-202 (2015). (NSERC, ARC)

189. N. Agnihotri and R. P. Steer, TD-DFT calculations of the excited states of metalloporphyrins relevant to organic solar photovoltaic cells, J. Porphyrins Phthalocyanines, 18, 475-492 (2014). (NSERC)

188. N. K. Giri, A. Banerjee, R. W. J. Scott, M. F. Paige and R. P. Steer, Spectroscopic and photophysical study of the demetalation of a zinc porphyrin and the aggregation of its free base in a tetraalkylphosphonium ionic liquid, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 16, 26252-26260 (2014). (NSERC)

187. R. P. Steer, Concerning correct and incorrect assignments of Soret (S2-S0) fluorescence in porphyrinoids: a short critical review, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 13, 1117-1122 (2014).

186. M. R. Ribas, R. P. Steer and R. Ruther, Photophysical properties of new bis-perylene dyads for potential upconversion use, Chem. Phys. Lett. 605-606, 126-130 (2014). NSERC, CNPq Brazil)

185. N. K. Giri, C. P. Ponce, R. P. Steer and M. F. Paige, Homomolecular non-coherent photon upconversion by triplet-triplet annihilation using a zinc porphyrin on wide bandgap semiconductors, Chem.  Phys.  Lett. 598,  17-22 (2014). (NSERC)

184. P. C. Boutin, K. P. Ghiggino, T. L. Kelly and R. P. Steer, Photon Upconversion by Triplet-Triplet Annihilation in Ru(bpy)3- and DPA-Functionalized Polymers, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 4, 4113-4118 (2013). (NSERC, ARC)

183. K. P. Ghiggino, N. K. Giri, J. Hanrieder, J. D. Martell, J. Müller, M. F. Paige, B. Robotham, J. Szmytkowski and R. P. Steer, Photophysics of Soret-Excited Tin(IV) Porphyrins in Solution, J. Phys. Chem. A, 117, 7833-7840 (2013). (NSERC, ARC)

182. S. K. Sugunan, C. Greenwald, M. F. Paige and R. P. Steer, Efficiency of Noncoherent Photon Upconversion by Triplet-Triplet Annihilation: The C60 Plus Anthanthrene System and the Importance of Tuning the Triplet Energies, J. Phys. Chem. A, 117, 5419-5427 (2013). (NSERC)

181. C. P. Ponce, R. P. Steer and M. F. Paige, Photophysics and halide quenching of a cationic metalloporphyrin in water, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci. 12, 1079-1085 (2013). (NSERC)

180. M. Motyka, R. P. Steer, C. C. Williams, S. Lee, and K. P. Ghiggino, Concerning the dual emission of porphyrazines employed in biomedical imaging, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci. 12, 1086-1090 (2013). (ARC)

179. P. D. Harvey, F. Bregier, S. M. Aly, J. Szmytkowski, M. F. Paige and R. P. Steer, Dendron to Central Core S1-S1 and S2-Sn (n >1) Energy Transfers in Artificial Special Pairs Containing Dendrimers with Limited Numbers of Conformations, Chem. Eur. J., 19, 4352-4368 (2013). (NSERC)

178. S. K. Sugunan, B. Robotham, R. P. Sloan, J. Szmytkowski, K. P. Ghiggino, M. F. Paige, and R. P. Steer, Photophysics of untethered ZnTPP-fullerene complexes in solution, J. Phys. Chem. A 115, 12217-12227 (2011). (NSERC, ARC)

177. J. A. O'Brien, Y. Lu, Yin, E. N. Hooley, K. P. Ghiggino, R. P. Steer and M. F. Paige, Aggregation of zinc tetraphenylporphyrin characterized by ensemble and single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy, Can. J. Chem. 89, 122-129 (2011). (NSERC, ARC)

176. S. Sugunan, M. F. Paige and R. P. Steer, Determination of oxygen permeabilities in thin polymer films using quenching of upconverted fluorescence in porphyrins, Can. J. Chem. 89, 195-202 (2011). (NSERC)

175. J. Szmytkowski, S.M.K. Brunet, U. Tripathy, J. A. O’Brien, M. F. Paige and R. P. Steer, Photophysics and halide quenching of Soret-excited ZnTPPS4- in aqueous media. Chem. Phys. Letters, 501, 278-282 (2011). (NSERC)

174. J. Szmytkowski, T. Bond, M. F. Paige, R. W. J. Scott and R. P. Steer, Spectroscopic and photophysical properties of ZnTPP in a room temperature ionic liquid. J. Phys. Chem. A, 114, 11471-11476 (2010). (NSERC)

175. J. Szmytkowski, S.M.K. Brunet, U. Tripathy, J.A. O’Brien, M.F. Paige and R.P. Steer, Photophysics and halide quenching of Soret-excited ZnTPPS4- in aqueous media. Chem. Phys. Letters, in press (2010). doi:10.1016/j.cplett.2010.11.010 (NSERC)

 
174. J. Szmytkowski, T. Bond, M.F. Paige, R.W.J. Scott and R.P. Steer, Spectroscopic and photophysical properties of ZnTPP in a room temperature ionic liquid. J. Phys. Chem. A, 114, 11471-11476 (2010). (NSERC)
 
173. S Hirayama, R.P. Steer, Understanding the theory and practice of molecular spectroscopy: the effects of spectral bandwidth. J. Chem. Educ. 87, 1344-1347 (2010).
 
172. B.R.Danger, K. Bedient, M. Maiti, I.J. Burgess and R.P. Steer, Photophysics of self-assembled zinc porphyrin-bidentate diamine ligand complexes. J. Phys. Chem. A, 114, 10960-10968 (2010). (NSERC)
 
171. M. Maiti, R.P. Steer, Is Soret-excited ZnTPP quenched by electron transfer in chlorinated solvents? Chem. Phys. Letters, 482, 254-258 (2009). (NSERC)
 
170. M. Maiti, B.R. Danger, R.P. Steer, Photophysics of Soret-excited tetrapyrroles in solution. IV. Radiationless decay and triplet-triplet annihilation investigated using tetraphenylporphinato Sn(IV). J. Phys. Chem. A, 113, 11318-11326 (2009). (NSERC)
 
169. S. Sugunan, U. Tripathy, S. Brunet, M.F. Paige, R.P. Steer, Mechanisms of low power non-coherent photon upconversion in metalloporphyrin-organic blue emitter systems in solution. J. Phys. Chem. A, 113, 8548-8556 (2009). (NSERC)
 
168. J.A. O’Brien, S. Rallabandi, U. Tripathy, M.F. Paige and R.P. Steer, Efficient S2-state production in ZnTPP-PMMA thin films by triplet-triplet annihilation: Evidence of solute aggregation in photon upconversion systems. Chem.  Phys. Letters, 475, 220-222 (2009). (NSERC)
 
167. D. Kowalska, X. Liu, U. Tripathy, A. Mahammed, Z. Gross, S. Hirayama, R.P. Steer, Ground- and excited-state dynamics of aluminum and gallium corroles. Inorg. Chem., 48, 2670-2676 (2009). (NSERC)
 
166. X. Liu, U. Tripathy, A. Mahammed, Z. Gross and R.P. Steer, Photophysics of Soret-excited tetrapyrroles in solution. III. Al and Ga metallocorroles. Chem. Phys. Letters, 459, 113-118 (2008). (NSERC)
 
165. X. Liu, U. Tripathy, S.V. Bhosale, S.J. Langford, R.P. Steer, Photophysics of Soret-excited tetrapyrroles in solution. II. Effects of perdeuteration, substituent nature and position and macrocycle structure and conformation in zinc(II) porphyrins. J. Phys. Chem. A, 112, 8986-8998 (2008). (NSERC, ARC)
 
164. U. Tripathy, X. Liu, D. Kowalska, S. Velate and R.P. Steer, Photophysics of Soret-excited tetrapyrroles in solution. I. MTPP, M = Mg, Zn, Cd. J. Phys. Chem. A, 112, 5824-5833 (2008). (NSERC)
 
163. D. Kowalska and R.P. Steer, Quenching of MgTPP and ZnTPP fluorescence by molecular oxygen. J. Photochem. Photobiol., A, 195, 223-227 (2008).  (NSERC)
 
162. S. Hirayama and R.P. Steer, Solvatochromism and barochromism revisited and revealed. J. Chem. Educ. 85, 317-319 (2008).

Teaching & Supervision

Chemistry Environmental Science Physics

Current teaching consists of courses given through the SSCL organization: Chemistry for Informed Consumers (2016) and Environmental Chemistry (planned for 2018)

Research

Laser Technology Non-coherent Photon Upconversion Photochemistry Photophysics Physical Chemistry Solar Photovoltaic Cells Spectroscopy

Photochemistry, Photophysics, Spectroscopy, Laser Technology, Solar Photovoltaic Cells, Non-coherent Photon Upconversion

Education & Training

B.A. (Magna cum Laude), U of S, 1963; B.Sc. (High Hons.), U of S, 1964; Ph,D. (Physical Chemistry), U of S., 1968; Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of California, Riverside, 1968-69; D. Sc., U of S. 1995

Awards & Honours

  • Special Issue of Canadian Journal of Chemistry, awarded by NRC Research Press June 2019
  • John C. Polanyi Award, awarded by Canadian Society for Chemistry January 2013
  • Distinguished Professor, awarded by University of Saskatchewan July 2011
  • Master Teacher Award, awarded by University of Saskatchewan May 1996

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