Events in physical chemistry.

Modeling of electrostatic and chemical properties of nanoscopic and microscopic aerosol droplets

Abstract: Atmospheric and man-made droplet aerosols show many commonalities in their physical and chemical properties.  Both systems are characterized by confinement and large surface to volume ratio, which alter the chemistry of many processes relative to their bulk solution counterparts.

Excitations Dynamics Driving Electronic Correlations in Molecules and Solids

Abstract: Capturing the dynamics of electronic excitations in realistic systems containing more than a few electrons is one of the outstanding theoretical challenges. Dynamical quantum fluctuations mediate interactions among excited electrons (and holes), determining the material electronic structure and optoelectronic response. A predictive ab-initio theory is critical for understanding, predicting, and designing novel compounds with tailored (quantum) properties.

Metal Homeostasis at the host – pathogen interface: from nutritional immunity to nutritional intoxication

Abstract: Antibiotic resistance is a global health concern that causes over one million deaths worldwide. Understanding molecular mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis and the innate immune response is critical for identifying new antimicrobial therapeutic approaches. My lab is interested in characterizing the underlying determinants of metal homeostasis with an eye toward creating new antimicrobial agents. One-third of the proteome is predicted to comprise metalloproteins.

From synchronization to chemical reaction superpositions

Abstract: Synchronization abounds in nature—why is it so hard to synchronize quantum systems? I will discuss this general question and its relationship to quantum coherence and exciton delocalization. I will then report new experiments that show how a molecular exciton state can launch two a superposition of two chemical reactions. Specifically, we study femtosecond proton transfer in a symmetric molecule with two identical reactant sites that are spatially apart.

Nonlinear dynamics of ensembles of quantum emitters at plasmonic interfaces

Abstract:  The research in nanoplasmonics has attracted an appreciable interest from various sides of the scientific community including physics, materials science, chemistry, and biology. At the heart of the primary interest in plasmonics is the strong electromagnetic field localization at resonant frequencies corresponding to surface plasmon-polariton modes.

Nuclear Chemistry Revival by Design – New Activities at UC Irvine

Abstract: The ongoing decarbonization efforts in the United States require a combination of various energy technologies with a low carbon foot print, with nuclear energy playing a substantial role. A summary of recent progress in nuclear materials chemistry aimed towards the synthesis and improved performance of complex oxide materials for fusion and fission applications will be presented.

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