Regular biography
Cynthia Friend is the Theodore William Richards Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Materials Science, Emerita, at Harvard University. She is affiliated with the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Her research interests include materials science and chemical processes. She is associated with the Friend Lab and can be contacted via email at friend@fas.harvard.edu or through her profile page at https://seas.harvard.edu/person/cynthia-friend.
Scholar-generated biography
Cynthia Friend is a T.W. Richards Professor of Chemistry at Harvard University, specializing in surface chemistry, nanoscience, heterogeneous catalysis, and physical chemistry. Her research explores the design and application of nanoporous gold and other nanomaterials for catalytic processes, emphasizing their role in green chemistry and sustainable energy solutions. She investigates mechanisms of surface reactions, such as O2 activation, CO oxidation, and selective hydrogenation, with a focus on enhancing catalytic efficiency and selectivity. Her work bridges experimental and theoretical approaches to understand reactivity on metal surfaces, contributing to the development of advanced catalysts for industrial and environmental applications.