Matthew K. Sprague

Chemical Hygiene Officer

St. Norbert College

Curriculum Vitae

Last updated May 2024

Contact Information

• Email: matthew.sprague [at] snc.edu
• Phone: x3280 (920-403-3280)
• Office: Gehl-Mulva Science Center, Room 2125

Professional Appointments

· Chemical Hygiene Officer, St. Norbert College, 2025–present

· Associate Professor of Chemistry (tenured), St. Norbert College, 2021–2025

· Assistant Professor of Chemistry, St. Norbert College, 2015–2021

· Research Chemist (postdoctoral scholar), National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2013–2015

· Lecturer in Chemistry, California Institute of Technology, 2012–2013

Educational Background

· Ph.D., Physical Chemistry, California Institute of Technology, 2005–2012

· B.S., Chemistry, Ithaca College, 2001–2005

· B.A., Physics, Ithaca College, 2001–2005

Research Interests (Computational Chemistry)

• Thermochemistry of polyoxide formation from peroxy species
• Ozonolysis of alkenes and formation of Criegee Intermediates
• Assessment of uncertainty on computed thermochemical data
• Effects of hydrogen bonding on vibrational spectra

Peer-Reviewed Publications

9. F.J. Lovas and M.K. Sprague, “Microwave spectral study of SO₂–CO,” J. Mol. Spec., 2015, 316: 49–53, doi:10.1016/j.jms.2015.07.005

8. M.K. Sprague and K.K. Irikura, “Thermochemistry of HO₂+HO₂-->H₂O₄: Does HO₂ dimerization affect laboratory studies?” J. Phys. Chem. A, 2015, 119 (27): 7052–7062, doi:10.1021/acs.jpca.5b04265

7. P.P. Hughes, A. Beasten, J.C. McComb, M.A. Coplan, M. al-Sheikhly, A.K. Thompson, R.E. Vest, M.K. Sprague, K.K. Irikura, and C.W. Clark, “High-resolution, vacuum-ultraviolet absorption spectrum of boron trifluoride,” J. Chem. Phys., 141, 194301 (2014), doi:10.1063/1.4901324

6. M.K. Sprague and K.K. Irikura, “Quantitative estimation of uncertainties from wavefunction diagnostics,” Theor. Chem. Acc., 2014, 133 (9): 1544, doi:10.1007/s00214-014-1544-z

5. M.K. Sprague, L.A. Mertens, H.N. Widgren, M. Okumura, S.P. Sander, and A.B. McCoy, “Cavity ringdown spectroscopy of the hydroxy-methyl-peroxy radical,” J. Phys. Chem. A, 2013, 117 (39): 10006–10017, doi:10.1021/jp400390y

4. M.K. Sprague, E.R. Garland, A.K. Mollner, C. Bloss, B.D. Bean, M.L. Weichman, L.A. Mertens, M. Okumura, and S.P. Sander, “Kinetics of n-butoxy and 2-pentoxy isomerization and detection of primary products by infrared cavity ringdown spectroscopy,” J. Phys. Chem. A, 2012, 116 (24): 6327–6340, doi:10.1021/jp212136r

3. A.K. Mollner, S. Valluvadasan, L. Feng, M.K. Sprague, M. Okumura, D.B. Milligan, W.J. Bloss, S.P. Sander, P.T. Martien, R.A. Harley, A.B. McCoy, and W.P.L. Carter, “Rate of gas phase association of hydroxyl radical and nitrogen dioxide,” Science 330 (2010): 646–649, doi:10.1126/science.1193030

2. A.B. McCoy, M.K. Sprague, and M. Okumura, “The role of torsion/torsion coupling in the vibrational spectrum of cis-cis HOONO,” J. Phys. Chem. A, 2010, 114 (3): 1324–1333, doi:10.1021/jp905731h

1. P.M. Dentinger, B.A. Simmons, E. Cruz, and M. Sprague “DNA-mediated delivery of lipophilic molecules via hybridization to DNA-based vesicular aggregates,” Langmuir, 2006, 22 (7), 2935–2937, doi:10.1021/la053005o