Join Yale Chemistry for a Silliman Physical Chemistry Seminar with Benjamin J Schwartz, University of California, Los Angeles
Title: TBD
Research in the Schwartz group is aimed a building a molecular-level understanding of chemical reactivity in complex environments by studying condensed-phase chemical reaction dynamics using both experimental and theoretical techniques: femtosecond laser spectroscopies and mixed quantum/classical molecular dynamics simulations. Projects fall into two main areas: studies of how solvent motions control the rates and even the choice of products in solution-phase chemical reactions, and investigations into the electronic structure and optoelectronic behavior of semiconducting conjugated polymers. The Schwartz group is one of the few pursing both experimental and theoretical approaches to solving chemical reaction dynamics problems. The experimental techniques focus largely on femtosecond spectroscopies, and particularly 3-pulse pump-probe experiments that allow for direct examination of transient species such as the excited states of conjugated polymers or reactive solvated atoms and electrons. The theoretical techniques include both the development and application of new algorithms for dealing with the breakdown of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation in mixed quantum/classical simulations and the development of new methods for deriving the pseudopoentials used in such simulations.
Faculty Host: Mark Johnson
This seminar is generously sponsored by the Mrs. Hepsa Ely Silliman Memorial Fund
This seminar can be viewed online at this link: Panopto Link