Travis Williams' core areas of expertise include homogeneous catalysts and basic reaction science, new approaches to alternative energy, chemical synthesis, and molecular characterization. He is broadly well-trained in organic, inorganic, and analytical chemistry. Travis' start-up company, Catapower, Inc. uses proprietary catalysts and reactions to add value to glycerin waste that falls out of biodiesel production. Thier products help displace antibiotics, bleach, and ammonia from food production.
In his role as a PI at USC, Travis' lab is developing new catalysts and conditions to manipulate hydrides such as various C-H and other X-H bonds. Particularly, they are interested in coordinatively directed hydride abstraction and new reactions for complex molecule synthesis that feature C-H activation. To achieve these goals, they employ strategies of catalyst design, thus exploring novel organometallic and coordination chemistry, and target-oriented new organic reaction development. Simultaneously and synergistically with our organometallic work, the lab is devising conceptually novel chemical tools for research and clinical use. Along these lines, they are currently developing the first ultrasound-activated MRI contrast agent.