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Physical Chemistry

Professor Sabre Kais writing equations.

Purdue Physical Chemistry prides itself on two characteristics: outstanding scientific research and a supporting and collaborative environment. Physical Chemistry at Purdue encompasses a wide range of scientific endeavors, from ultracold single-molecule chemistry, quantum computation, and ultrafast microscopy to machine learning and immunology, and biological exciton formation — both in the lab and on the computer. We have particular depth in quantum chemistry research, including quantum computing (Hood, Kais), electronic structure theory and computation (Chen, Slipchenko, and Wasserman) and nonlinear spectroscopic methods (Ben Amotz, Huang, Reppert).

 

Our Faculty

Ming Chen

Ming Chen

  • Molecular Dynamics
  • Machine Learning
  • Electronic Structure
Gaurav Chopra

Gaurav Chopra

  • Neuroimmunology
  • Machine Learning
  • Drug Discovery
Shelley Claridge

Shelley Claridge

  • Nanomaterials
  • Imaging
  • Confinement effects
Qi (Tony) Dong

Qi (Tony) Dong

  • Energy and sustainability
  • Nanomaterials and nanotechnology
  • Heterogeneous catalysis
Jonathan Hood

Jonathan Hood

  • Ultracold Chemistry
  • Quantum Computing
  • Optical Tweezers
Libai Huang

Libai Huang

  • Ultrafast Microscopy
  • Energy Transport
  • Charge Transport
Sabre Kais

Sabre Kais

  • Quantum Information
  • Quantum Computation
  • Entanglement and Coherence
Alexander Laskin

Alexander Laskin

  • Aerosol Multi-Phase Chemistry
  • Environmental Transformations
  • Chemical Imaging
Julia Laskin

Julia Laskin

  • Fundamentals of ion-surface collisions
  • Ion soft-landing
  • Nanoclusters
Hanzhe Liu

Hanzhe Liu

  • Ultrafast Laser and X-ray spectroscopy
  • Strong light-matter interaction
  • Nonlinear spectroscopy
Mike Reppert

Mike Reppert

  • Optical Spectroscopy
  • Photosynthesis
  • Protein structure
Garth Simpson

Garth Simpson

  • Nonlinear Optics
  • Chemical Imaging
  • Dynamic Sampling
Lyudmila Slipchenko

Lyudmila Slipchenko

  • Electronic Structure
  • QM/EFP and QM/MM
  • Photosynthesis
Valentin Walther

Valentin Walther

  • Quantum optics
  • Rydberg physics
  • Semiconductor excitons
Adam Wasserman

Adam Wasserman

  • Electronic Structure
  • Density Functional Theory
  • Electron-Electron Interactions
Paul Wenthold

Paul Wenthold

  • Physical Organic Chemistry
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Ion Reactivity and Spectroscopy
(Jesse) Chi Zhang

(Jesse) Chi Zhang

  • Optical Microscopy/Spectroscopy
  • Opto-control
  • Cell metabolism