Education
PhD in Physical Chemistry, The Ohio State University
BA in Chemistry, The College of Wooster
BA in Chemistry, The College of Wooster
Kimberly Carter Fenk
University of Pittsburgh
Chemistry
Profile
Dr. Carter-Fenk is a Teaching Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, where she directs the undergraduate physical chemistry laboratory program. She earned her B.A. in Chemistry from The College of Wooster in 2016 and her Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from The Ohio State University in 2021. During her doctoral research in Prof. Heather Allen’s group, she investigated molecular organization at the air–water interface. She then pursued postdoctoral work with Prof. Michael Fayer at Stanford University, studying ultrafast dynamics in deep eutectic solvents and complex aqueous solutions. At Pitt, Dr. Carter-Fenk integrates spectroscopy and computational quantum chemistry to advance more sustainable approaches in chemistry.
Research
Kimberly Carter-Fenk’s research interests lie at the intersection of spectroscopy and computational quantum chemistry. She applies these tools to understand molecular organization and dynamics at complex interfaces and in solution, with the goal of informing more sustainable chemical practices.
Most Cited Publications
Roget, S. A.; Carter-Fenk, K.A.; Fayer, M. D. Water Dynamics in Aqueous Poly-N-Isopropylacrylamide Below and Through the Lower Critical Solution Temperature. J. Phys. Chem. B. 2022, 126 (36), 7066-7075. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05506.
Roget, S. A.; Carter-Fenk, K. A.; Fayer, M. D. Water Dynamics and Structure of Highly Concentrated LiCl Solutions Investigated Using Ultrafast Infrared Spectroscopy. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144 (9), 4233–4243. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.2c00616.
Carter-Fenk, K. A.; Dommer, A. C.; Fiamingo, M. E.; Kim, J.; Amaro, R. E.; Allen, H. C. Calcium Bridging Drives Polysaccharide Co-Adsorption to a Proxy Sea Surface Microlayer. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2021, 23 (30), 16401–16416. https://doi.org/10.1039/D1CP01407B. Carter-Fenk, K. A.*;
Carter-Fenk, K.*; Fiamingo, M. E.; Allen, H. C.; Herbert, J. M. Vibrational Exciton Delocalization Precludes the Use of Infrared Intensities as Proxies for Surfactant Accumulation on Aqueous Surfaces. Chem. Sci. 2021, 12 (24), 8320–8332. https://doi.org/10.1039/D1SC01276B. *Equal contributions. †Chemical Science 2021 HOT Article
Carter-Fenk, K. A.; Allen, H. C. Collapse Mechanisms of Nascent and Aged Sea Spray Aerosol Proxy Films. Atmosphere 2018, 9 (12), 503. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos9120503.
Recent Publications
Pan, J.*; Carter-Fenk, K. A.*; Hung, S. T.; Dao, N.; Smith, J. N. S.; Fayer, M. D. Dynamics of Deep Eutectic Mixtures of Tetraethylammonium Halides/Ethylene Glycol Investigated with Ultrafast Infrared Spectroscopy. J. Phys. Chem. B 2025, 129 (10), 2718–2729. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c08739. *Equal contributions
Dommer, A. C.; Rogers, M. M.; Carter-Fenk, K. A.; Wauer, N. A.; Rubio, P.; Davasam, A.; Allen, H. C.; Amaro, R. E. Interfacial Enrichment of Lauric Acid Assisted by Long-Chain Fatty Acids, Acidity and Salinity at Sea Spray Aerosol Surfaces. J. Phys. Chem. A 2024. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpca.4c03335.
Roget, S. A.; Heck, T. R.; Carter-Fenk, K. A.; Fayer, M. D. Ion/Water Network Structural Dynamics in Highly Concentrated Lithium Chloride and Lithium Bromide Solutions Probed with Ultrafast IR Spectroscopy. J. Phys. Chem. B. 2023, 127 (20), 4532-4543. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c08792.
Roget, S. A.; Carter-Fenk, K.A.; Fayer, M. D. Water Dynamics in Aqueous Poly-N-Isopropylacrylamide Below and Through the Lower Critical Solution Temperature. J. Phys. Chem. B. 2022, 126 (36), 7066-7075. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05506.
Vazquez de Vasquez, M. G.; Rogers, M. M.; Carter-Fenk, K. A.; Allen, H. C. Discerning Poly- and Monosaccharide Enrichment Mechanisms: Alginate and Glucuronate Adsorption to a Stearic Acid Sea Surface Microlayer. ACS Earth Space Chem. 2022, 6 (6), 1581–1595. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00066.