THEORY
Exploiting the fact that electrons interact pairwise, one can express the electronic energy as a functional of the 1- and 2-RDMs, allowing for the calculation of the electronic energy without the N-electron wavefunction. We aim to develop 1- and 2-RDM based algorithms to overcome scaling limitations of traditional wavefunction based algorithms.
Chemistry occurs in solution, the solid state and at interfaces! Utilizing multi-level embedding methods allows us to bridge different length- and time-scales in the accurate description of electron correlation. We capture long-range structural effects and dynamics using lower-cost methods, such as DFT or by employing ML, while the electronic structure of the most important sub-unit is calculated using a high-level embedded correlated wavefunction or RDM theory.
SIMULATION
Utilizing RDM methods we aim to elucidate the electronic, magnetic, and photophysical properties of strongly correlated multi-nuclear complexes. We are particularly interested in modeling compounds that are targets in the development of single-molecule magnets, qubits, NIR emitters, and photocatalysts.
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies remain in their infancy as challenges are faced in the ab- or ad-sorption of carbon dioxide, and its long-term storage. Utilizing multi-level embedding simulations, we aim to characterize the electronic and structural factors driving the mineralization of carbon dioxide, as well as its absorption and chemisorption in metal-organic frameworks and ionic liquids.
Artificial metalloenzymes promise to provide highly active, selective, and sustainable catalytic pathways; however, significant knowledge gaps remain due to the large number of metal centers comprising metal-cofactors such as [4Fe-4S], [8Fe-7S], or FeMoco, giving rise to strongly correlated electronic structures, while the importance of coordination sphere effects and structural dynamics adds additional complexity. Utilizing RDM and multi-level embedding approaches, we aim to understand the role of metal cofactors’ electronic structure throughout the catalytic cycle while simultaneously capturing the role of coordination sphere effects and structural fluxionality.