The goal of Professor Prezhdo’s research is to obtain a molecular level theoretical understanding of chemical reactivity and energy transfer in complex condensed-phase chemical and biological environments. This requires the development of new theoretical and computational tools and the application of these tools to challenging chemical problems in direct connection to experiments.
20 APR 09 New members have joined the group! Sean Fischer will be investigating relaxation dynamics of quantum dots; Tammie Nelson will be diving into the world of graphene ribbons and their implementation in nano devices; ZhenYu Guo is visiting from the University of Science and Technology of China; and Undergraduate Chantelle has joined Yuriy in studying the catch-slip bond.
2 FEB 07 Hideyuki and Svetlana's paper on Vibrational Dephasing in PbSe quantum dots was published in Nanoletters. Several Members of our group contributed to a book chapter Ab Initio Photoinduced Molecule-Semiconductor Electron Transfer was published in NANOMATERIALS: DESIGN AND SIMULATION, 18. Walter and Oleg also collaborated on a paper for Annual Review of Physical Chemistry entitled Theoretical Studies of Photoinduced Electron Transfer in Dye-Sensitized TiO2 . Yuriy recently had a paper published in Physical Review E and the Virtual Journal of Biological Physics Research. You can find his paper on Universal laws. (Please see the 'Publications' Section for transcripts)
28 OCT 06 The pedagogical paper "Control of Chemical Equilibrium by Solvent: A Basis for Teaching Physical Chemistry of Solutions" by Oleg V. Prezhdo, Colleen F. Craig, Yuriy Fialkov, and Victor V. Prezhdo has been accepted to the Journal of Chemical Education.
8 AUG 06 Oleg was invited to contribute to the "New Perspectives in Theoretical Chemistry" issue of Theoretical Chemistry Accounts, a special issue dedicated to representing "the voice of a new generation of theoretical chemists." Oleg was one of only 35 young theoretical chemists to receive this honor. His contribution will be published this month; download an electronic version here.
7 AUG 06 Yuriy's analysis of the P-selectin/PGSL-1 catch-slip bond indicates that variations in heart rate could play a vital role in cell transport and adhesion to blood-vessel walls during inflammatory processes. The catch-slip bond, which increases in strength with increasing shear force, was first described by our group here.
Proofs are available for chapters our group has contributed to two upcoming books. "Photoexcitation dynamics on the nanoscale" will appear in Quantum Dynamics of Complex Molecular Systems (Springer), and "Ab Initio Simulations of Photoinduced Molecule-Semiconductor Electron Transfer" will appear in Nanomaterials: Design and Simulation (Elsevier). Both books hit the stands this fall.
Oleg and Walter's review article, "Theoretical studies of photo-induced electron transfer in dye-sensitized TiO2", was recently accepted by Annual Reviews of Physical Chemistry. The article will appear in the 2007 issue.
20 June 06 Brad's recent Physical Review Letter (96, 187401 (2006)) on relaxation dynamics in excited carbon nanotubes has been selected for the June 2006 issue of the Virtual Journal of Ultrafast Science. It was also selected for the May 29, 2006 issue of Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science & Technology.