In May, the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund (ACS PRF) recommended that a $70,000 research grant be awarded to Dr. Emanuele Curotto, professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Physics, for his research proposal, “Quantum Simulations of Lithium Ion Solvation Dynamics in Mixed Stockmayer Clusters.” The proposed research will use the laws of physics to predict what happens to lithium and lithium ions inside of a lithium ion battery, employing quantum algorithms to simulate the behavior of the nuclei during the charge-discharge cycle of a battery. Curotto’s proposed research aims to answer questions that will lead to future improvements in technology, applicable to various fields, such as chemistry, physics, engineering, and computer science.

“The impacts that are likely to produce the broadest and longest lasting benefits to our society are those generated by the involvement of our undergraduate students,” says Dr. Curotto, who believes the ACS PRF grant will give him and the department “much needed resources to pursue our shared passion of growing the scientists of tomorrow.”