About

Joseph Hupp is the Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern University. His research focuses on making and studying molecular materials and supramolecular assemblies. His work aims to understand fundamental aspects of molecular recognition, directed assembly, light harvesting, directional energy transport, and electron transfer reactivity. Additionally, his research exploits these phenomena to address practical problems such as solar energy conversion, chemical fuel storage and release, chemical sensing, molecular transport, chemical separations, and selective catalysis. Hupp's contributions have been recognized through numerous awards, including the ACS Award in Electrochemistry in 2012, and he is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His research has significant implications for advancing energy technologies and understanding molecular interactions at a fundamental level.

Research topics

• Organic chemistry
• Chemistry
• Materials science
• Nanotechnology
• Metallurgy
• Engineering
• Biochemical engineering
• Inorganic chemistry
• Composite material
• Chemical engineering
• Physical chemistry

Selected publications

• ‘‘Antenna-Like’ Light-Harvesting in Partially Metalated Porphyrin Hydrogen-bonded Organic Frameworks

  ChemRxiv · 2026-03-27

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Arrays of light harvesting molecules with long-range order hold promise as materials capable of efficient collection of photons as well as rapid transport of captured solar energy to chemical catalysts. Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) could be promising artificial light-harvesting platforms, due to their crystalline nature, their molecular-scale porosity, and their comparative ease of synthesis. In this study, HOFs containing both zinc-metalated tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (Zn-TCPP; energy donor) and corresponding free-base porphyrin (FB-TCPP; energy acceptor) units were examined and found to display ‘antenna-like’ light harvesting behavior. Using steady-state and time-resolved emission spectroscopy, energy transfer from zinc porphyrin to free-base porphyrin was assessed. Based on changes in the emission peak profile as the ratio of zinc porphyrin to free-base porphyrin is varied, we find that, in the limit of high dilution of the acceptor, energy can be transferred from any of ~70 donor chromophores. Application of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) theory and time-dependent density functional theory to a simplified model of the HOF, suggests that Coulomb coupling can account for energy transfer from ~30 Zn-TCPPs. Closer examination of FRET modeling indicates a strong bias for transfer along the direction of porphyrin stacking. We speculate, by analogy to the behavior of related MOFs (metal-organic frameworks), that rapid transport of molecular excitons (via donor-to-donor FRET) accounts for participation of Zn-TCPP units beyond the ca. 30 expected from simplified FRET modeling. Measurements at comparatively high acceptor concentrations indicate a limiting energy-transfer efficiency of ~95%, with a limiting time of roughly 20-50 ps. These findings suggest that stacked chromophores within HOFs can act as light harvesting ‘antennae’ and may offer prospective application as photochemical energy conversion systems.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Modulating Cu electrode microenvironments with MOF coatings: insights from molecular dynamics and electrochemical experiments of CO reduction

  Journal of Catalysis · 2026-01-30

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  • MOF coatings reshape Cu electrode microenvironments during CO reduction. • MD reveals how pore size and hydrophobicity affect CO and H 2 O coordination. • ZIF-8@Cu in ACN enhances ethylene selectivity by limiting water access. • NU-901@Cu promotes HER by concentrating water near the Cu surface. • MOFs act as physical modulators of reactant delivery and solvation. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) present a compelling strategy for tuning electrochemical interfaces by reshaping interfacial solvent structure. In this study, we examine how MOF coatings influence the microenvironment at copper electrodes during the CO electroreduction reaction (CORR) using a combined approach of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and electrochemical experiments. Two MOFs, NU-901 and ZIF-8, are selected to explore the impact of pore size and channel hydrophobicity on electrochemical activity and interfacial concentration in acetonitrile (ACN) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) electrolytes. Electrochemical measurements reveal that MOF@Cu electrodes exhibit lower Faradaic efficiencies for CO hydrogenation products (ethylene and methane) compared to bare copper but have dramatic impacts on the interfacial microenvironment. NU-901, with its larger pores and strong interactions with DMSO, traps DMSO molecules and enhances CO coordination in DMSO but suppresses CORR selectivity in favor of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). ZIF-8, with smaller pores and hydrophobic channels, limits the interfacial water concentration, and, in ACN, promotes CO coordination. The simulations provide insights into how MOFs can act as physical modulators of reactant delivery and interfacial structure to control electrochemical microenvironments. This work highlights the value of molecular dynamics in uncovering how structural features of MOFs influence interfacial phenomena, even when catalytic performance is not directly improved.

  PublisherDOI

• Synergistic oxygen intermediate spillover in Pt3Co-PtCo dual-phase intermetallics for enhanced oxygen reduction kinetics

  Chemical Engineering Journal · 2026-04-13

  articleCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• In Situ Surface Reconstruction and Carbon Encapsulation for High‐Performance Pt‐Lean Catalysts beyond Conventional Core–Shell Designs

  Small · 2026-02-11

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  ABSTRACT Over recent decades, extensive efforts have aimed to enhance fuel cell performance. Pt alloys with 3d transition metals are particularly attractive for boosting oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity via strain and electronic effects. However, their structural instability and high Pt usage hinder practical application. Here, we report a highly active and durable catalyst with reduced Pt cost, achieved by integrating a Pt‐segregated surface and porous carbon shell. Unlike conventional polymer‐coating and carbonization methods, this catalyst is synthesized through a novel ‘in situ one‐step’ process that simultaneously induces Pt segregation and carbon shell formation. This streamlined approach not only simplifies synthesis but also significantly lowers Pt consumption while maintaining superior ORR activity and long‐term durability. As a result, the Pt content is reduced to ∼55% of that in commercial catalysts, while preserving high catalytic activity. Under single‐cell testing, the catalyst exhibits excellent activity and durability, meeting DOE targets even at a Pt loading of 0.02 mg cm − 2 , only one‐tenth of conventional loadings (0.2 mg cm − 2 ). Therefore, this strategy provides a promising pathway toward low‐cost, high‐performance fuel cell catalysts, offering a practical alternative to conventional core–shell or carbon‐coating approaches.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Side-arm sterics direct conformation, topology, and function in zirconium metal–organic frameworks

  Journal of Materials Chemistry A · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Side-arm steric tuning for topology programming and property modulation.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Isolated and H2-reduced Anderson clusters catalyse low-temperature hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol

  Nature Chemistry · 2026-03-23

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Coulombic Metal-Organic Frameworks Assembled from π-Stacked Organic Nodes and Polyoxometalate Inorganic Linkers

  ChemRxiv · 2026-03-22

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are typically constructed by forming coordination bonds between inorganic nodes and organic linkers. Here we present an alternative framework chemistry that does not rely on coordination bonding but instead exploits proton-transfer-facilitated Coulombic and hydrogen-bonding interactions. Protonation of basic amine molecules by acidic Keggin-type polyoxometalates (POMs) generates complementary organic cations and inorganic anions that rapidly self-assemble into crystalline frameworks at room temperature upon simple solution mixing. Solvent acidity modulates proton transfer and charge balance, thereby controlling amine-POM stoichiometry and packing modes and driving a structural evolution from π-stacked organic arrays (CouMOF-1) to a MOF-like node-linker network (CouMOF-2) and ultimately to a continuous POM-stacked phase (CouMOF-3). The intermediate phase, CouMOF-2, comprises a primitive cubic (pcu) net in which π-stacked organic molecules serve as 6-connected supramolecular organic nodes bridged by 2-connected POM clusters, producing a MOF-like topology without coordination bonding and representing a rare inversion of the conventional inorganic-node/organic-linker architecture of MOFs. These materials exhibit different sulfide oxidation activities and selectivities, highlighting solvent-controlled assembly as a route to tuning structure-function relationships. This assembly strategy extends to diverse amine monomers and polyoxometalates, and the synthetic simplicity together with the large chemical space of amine-POM combinations highlights organic-inorganic acid-base assembly as a versatile route to crystalline ionic frameworks that use non-directional Coulombic interactions to generate ordered framework architectures, without resorting to coordination chemistry.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• In Situ Surface Reconstruction and Carbon Encapsulation for High‐Performance Pt‐Lean Catalysts beyond Conventional Core–Shell Designs (Small 24/2026)

  Small · 2026-04-01

  article

  Oxygen Reduction Reaction An in-situ one-step synthesis simultaneously induces Pt surface segregation and forms a porous carbon shell on Pt–3d alloy nanoparticles. The resulting structure stabilizes the catalyst while maintaining high oxygen reduction reaction activity and long-term durability, enabling reduced Pt usage without sacrificing fuel-cell activity. This promising strategy offers a practical pathway toward low-cost, high-performance catalysts beyond conventional core–shell structures. More in the Research Article (e11516), Yun Sik Kang, Joseph T. Hupp, Sung Jong Yoo, Namgee Jung, and co-workers.

  PublisherDOI

• Extension of Solvent-Assisted Linker Exchange to Supported Metal–Organic Framework Thin Films

  Langmuir · 2026-01-08

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Solvent-assisted linker exchange (SALE) is a common postsynthetic approach used to accommodate metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for targeted applications. As this technique is relatively untested in immobilized MOF structures, we repeated the generalized SALE approach with ZIF-8 deposited directly onto solid substrates and assessed the results with a variety of techniques, including time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Our methods confirm that the supported films maintain their key structural properties while allowing for linker substitution with foreign species. Alongside experiments, we used computational modeling to quantify the relative energetics of SALE reactions with a variety of linkers. These techniques together reveal that SALE is translatable to immobilized MOFs. Additionally, we recognize how various aspects of the postsynthetic approach can bear consequences for the material's final micro- and macroscopic properties. The results uncover basic yet critical details needed to inform future efforts to engineer MOF films with functional properties.

  PublisherDOI

• Sculpting the Pores of a Metal–Organic Framework to Enhance Mixture Separation: An Illustrative Study based on Xe/Kr Separation

  ChemRxiv · 2026-04-13 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author

  Postsynthetic modification (PSM) of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is an attractive approach for enhancing functionality and boosting performance of these nanoporous materials. Often PSM relies on elaboration of either metal nodes or organic linkers of candidate MOFs. Herein, we introduce an alternative approach, sculpting the pores of a zirconium-based MOF, NU-903, with a size-matching Keggin polyoxometalate (POM) and apply the approach to separation of Xe/Kr mixtures as a test application. The computationally optimized structure of POM@NU-903 showed that the original 3-dimensional pore network was sculpted to a 2-dimensional pore. Although the pore volume decreased by 20%, Xe and Kr uptake capacities were nearly doubled at 298 K and 1 bar, with significantly boosted selectivity and heat of adsorption. Given the agreement between computational and experimental results and the great variety of MOFs and POMs, we envision a sizable library of pore-sculpted MOFs for demonstration and optimization of desired chemical separations.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• SusChEM: Integrated Materials and Process Systems Development for Sustainable Carbon Capture

  NSF · $450k · 2016–2020

• CRIF:MU Acquisition of an Integrated Compute Server for Research and Education in Chemistry

  NSF · $338k · 2007–2010

Frequent coauthors

• Omar K. Farha

  Northwestern University

  874 shared

• SonBinh T. Nguyen

  Northwestern University

  157 shared

• Randall Q. Snurr

  Northwestern University

  144 shared

• Amy A. Sarjeant

  Bristol-Myers Squibb (United States)

  118 shared

• Karen L. Mulfort

  Argonne National Laboratory

  97 shared

• Michael J. Pellin

  92 shared

• Alex B. F. Martinson

  90 shared

• Chad A. Mirkin

  Northwestern University

  80 shared

Labs

• The Hupp GroupPI

Awards & honors

• ACS Award in Electrochemistry, 2012
• Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Sc…
• IAPS Award of the Inter-American Photochemical Society, 2007
• David C. Grahame Award, Electrochemical Society, 2007
• Carl Wagner Memorial Award, Electrochemical Society, 2005