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Physical Chemistry focuses on the fundamental
principles that govern all other branches of chemistry, and is typically
subdivided into four main areas; Kinetics, Thermodynamics, Quantum
Mechanics and Statistical Mechanics.
Chemical Kinetics uses aspects of the other three areas
of physical chemistry to understand at the atomic level the factors
that control the rate at which chemical reactions take place. Thermodynamics
is the study of the energetics of a chemical system at a macroscopic
level, i.e., where the energies of all the molecules in a system
are considered at the same time.
Quantum mechanics uses the non-classical interactions
of electrons and nuclei, to explain the structure of molecules and
the bonding between atoms in a molecule, as well as to interpret
spectroscopic data associated with changes in the energy of a molecule.
Statistical Mechanics is the area that bridges the microscopic
events described by quantum mechanics at the atomic level with the
macroscopic observations of thermodynamics.
Faculty with a focus in Physical Chemistry include the following
(explanation of the symbols, *, §, ‡ are listed below):
Edward R. Birnbaum, Ph.D. ‡
Bioinorganic Chemistry
Lanthanide Chemistry
Calcium-Binding Peptides and Proteins
Michael F. Bruist, Ph.D. ‡
Nucleic acid biochemistry
DNA-protein interactions
Chemistry of DNA rearrangements
Zhijun Li, Ph.D. *
Bioinformatics
Computational Chemistry
Molecular Modeling
Madhu Mahalingam, Ph.D. §
Chemical education
Mass spectrometry
Ion-molecule reactions
Preston B. Moore, Ph.D. ‡
Molecular Interactions within Biological Systems
Computational Chemistry
Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Elisabeth Morlino, Ph.D. §
Chemical education
Photochemistry
Photobiology
Guillermo Moyna, Ph.D. ‡
Biomolecular NMR spectroscopy
Computational chemistry
Computer-assisted rational drug design
Vojislava Pophristic, Ph.D. ‡
Molecular Interactions within Biological Systems
Computational Chemistry
Inorganic Clusters
Frederick T. Schaefer, Ph.D. §
Chemical education
Computer interfacing
Macromolecules
Alexander Sidorenko, Ph.D. ‡
Synthesis of polymers and biopolymers
Design and modification of thin films
Nanostructured and hybrid ("smart") materials
Julian W. Snow, Ph.D. ‡
Structure of serum apolipoproteins
Serum apolipoprotein-lipid interactions
Thermodynamics of amphiphile-membrane interactions
Rodney J. Wigent, Ph.D. ‡
Solution calorimetry and thermodynamics
Thermodynamics and kinetics of drug excipients
Biophysical chemistry of DNA topology/structure
Randy J. Zauhar, Ph.D. ‡
Computational chemistry
Bioinformatics
Computer-aided drug design
| Research Advising Ability |
| § |
May serve as a research advisor for undergraduate students |
| * |
Research Professors from other departments who may serve as
research advisors for graduate students in their appropriate
area of expertise |
| ‡ |
May serve as a research advisor for both undergraduate and
graduate students |
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