Faculty Research Interests

Affiliates

Lecturers

Faculty Office Hours

Faculty Awards

NMR/Mass Spec Facilities

Reserve NMR

Reserve Mass Spec

X-Ray Facility

X-Ray Crystallography

Resources

Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of California
230 Physical Sciences Bldg.
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Phone: (831) 459-4002
Fax: (831) 459-2935
Email
Maps & Directions

Ilan Benjamin Professor of Chemistry B.Sc., Ph.D., Hebrew University of Jerusalem Office: 338 PSB Phone: (831) 459-3152 Fax: (831) 459-2935 benjamin@chemistry.ucsc.edu

Benjamin Research Group Department of Chemistry University of California 1156 High Street Santa Cruz, CA 95064 Office Hours Class Times & Locations Labs: 334 PSB, 9-3435 Benjamin Research Group

RESEARCH INTERESTS: Theoretical Chemistry, Molecular Dynamics of Chemical Reactions in Liquids, Theory of Energy Transfer and Relaxation in the Condensed Phase, Computational Methods Development

The research activity in our group is focused on the theoretical study of the microscopic dynamics of chemical reactions in the condensed phase. This includes chemical reactions in bulk solution and at surfaces. The major goal is to understand the dynamic structural and energetic changes in the medium that help drive the chemical reaction, as well as the way in which the medium changes the intrinsic chemical forces from their bare gas-phase values. To do this we use a variety of computer simulation methods and powerful multiprocessing workstations. Molecular dynamics simulation is used to reveal time-dependent motion and energy flow in the solvent and the reagents for chemical reactions in solution, and Monte Carlo simulation is used to understand equilibrium properties of the system. An important aspect of the approach is a close tie with experimental results, in particular, time-resolved spectroscopy and kinetic measurements. During the last few years, the research efforts have been focused on the study of chemical dynamics at fluid interfaces, including liquid/vapor, liquid/liquid and liquid/solid interfaces. This research has been motivated by the fundamental and practical importance of these systems, by a wealth of experimental data generated using new techniques and by the fact that very little has been done in this area to facilitate a theoretical understanding at the molecular level.
An important part of our research effort is directed toward the development of new simulation techniques. In particular, there is a need for improved methods for studying electronic transitions in solution and in surface reactions, and more efficient techniques for the simulation of complex macromolecular systems. Other areas include the development of simple analytical models that are able to capture the essence and important physical properties of the system, in addition to providing a simple language to describe the complex data (and graphic images) that the computer can provide.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

List of Publications