Rate My Professor Courtney Ennis

The research of the Ennis group centers on the application of laboratory infrared spectroscopy techniques—such as cryogenic thin-film FTIR, matrix isolation, synchrotron far-IR and THz spectroscopy, and aerosol scattering—to characterize crystalline solids. These methods are paired with periodic density functional theory (DFT) frequency calculations to study solid-state astrochemistry, molecular crystals, supramolecular gas sorption, UV photochemistry, crystal morphology, and intermolecular interactions. Her work explores planetary surface geochemistry, vibrational signatures of porous materials like metallic- and hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks, and their potential for gas storage of H2 and CO2. Ennis teaches advanced courses including CHEM463 Advanced Topics in Inorganic and Structural Chemistry and supervises CHEM490 dissertations. Key publications include 'An exploration of the three phenylacetylene polymorphs and discovery of a benzene-phenylacetylene co-crystal by vibrational spectroscopy and powder diffraction' (Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2026), 'Crystal structure of diacetylene unveiled by X-ray and neutron diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and periodic DFT' (IUCrJ, 2026), 'Tunability of nickel benzenehexathiolate electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction' (ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2025), 'Manipulating a thermosalient crystal using selective deuteration' (Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2025), and 'Formation and stability of the propionitrile:acetylene co-crystal under titan-relevant conditions' (ACS Earth & Space Chemistry, 2025).