We are a theoretical chemistry research group in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a part of the Theoretical Chemistry Institute. Our interests lie in understanding the structure and dynamics of complex fluids in solution and in complex enviroments using the methods of equilibrium and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics.
The self-assembly of molecules into nano-structured materials is a fascinating process because small changes in intermolecular interactions can have a large impact on the final mesoscopic structures. An interesting goal is the directed self-assembly of molecules where the chemical nature of the molecules is altered to drive the assembly into specific nanostructures. We are interested in the self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules such as b-peptides and Gemini surfactants. Such systems show hierarchical self-assembly which is sensitive to chemical details.