In his SciX interview, Marc Porter discusses what happens to hydrogen when thiols bind to gold, how close analytical chemists can get to detecting a single molecule in a liter, and his new PFAS-focused startup.
As he reflected on what comes next in his career, Marc Porter, a Distinguished Professor Emeritus in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the University of Utah, is turning his attention to questions that his research has left unanswered. In this segment of our interview with Porter at the 2026 SciX Conference, Porter discussed two research problems he hopes to pursue, a new startup, and what has made his career worthwhile.
Porter explained that, after reflecting on what questions his group has yet to answer, he keeps coming back to a deceptively simple one: where does the hydrogen go when an alkanethiol adsorbs on gold? Researchers know that a gold–sulfur bond forms, but the fate of the hydrogen remains unresolved. It could leave as hydrogen atoms, as a proton, or as some mix of products. Porter is now drafting a proposal to seek funding to answer the question. He acknowledged that the answer may not carry major implications, but said it is part of understanding the mechanism of what takes place.
His second area of interest is the ultimate
Porter also highlighted Litmus Analytical, his startup company developing a test for field-deployable measurements of
Porter closed by reflecting on his career. Aside from days packed with committee meetings, he said, the work has been a rush, and with the right collaborators, it makes work that much more enjoyable.
(1) Porter, M.; Workman, J., Jr.; Wetzel, W. Taming Serum Interference: Marc Porter on Moving SERS Immunoassays Toward the Clinic. Spectroscopy Online, 2026.
