Merkert Center 224
Telephone: 617-552-2866
Email: lucas.bao@bc.edu
Theory and Computation
We develop theories and computer algorithms to reveal the underlying physical principles that govern the complex kinetics and dynamical behaviors of a variety of intriguing chemical systems, ranging from gas-phase collisions to interfacial and condensed-phase reactions. We are interested in understanding the electronic structure of reactive intermediates, the reaction mechanisms, and detailed kinetics of clean-energy driven catalysis, including electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. We are curious about how reliable that our theoretical tools can be for predicting the intricate catalytic kinetic information, for instance, activation energy, kinetic isotope effect, and selectivity. More importantly, if our current theoretical tools are not adequate, we strive to improve them or create new methods. Another topic in our group is to investigate the interaction between chemistry and our environment. We aim to establish reliable and comprehensive atmospheric chemical kinetics models for studying the fate and distributions of important trace gases and reactive intermediates in the troposphere. Our works are interdisciplinary. We apply quantum mechanics, statistical thermodynamics, solid-state physics, and other branches of physics and applied mathematics to tackle the challenges that arise from the intrinsic complexities of chemistry.