Abraham Nitzan

Image: Prof. Abraham Nitzan

Donner Professor of Physical SciencesProfessor of Chemistry

215-898-2518

260A Cret

Website

Chemical Physics and Physical Chemistry, Theory Simulation and Modeling

Education
  • 1961-1964 Hebrew University, Jerusalem Chemistry B.Sc.
  • 1964-1965 Hebrew University, Jerusalem Chemistry M.Sc.
  • 1970-1972 Tel-Aviv University Chemistry Ph.D. 
Research Interests

Research in my group focuses on theoretical aspects of chemical dynamics, the branch of chemistry that describes the nature of physical and chemical processes that underline the progress of chemical reactions with the aim to achieve understanding of such processes and the ability to predict their course of evolution. In particular, our studies deal with chemical processes involving interactions between light and matter, chemical reactions in condensed phases and at interfaces and transport phenomena in complex systems, focusing mainly on the following directions:

  • Energy transfer processes in molecular systems. 
  • Molecular dynamics in condensed phases. 
  • Ionic transport in complex environments.
  • Optical properties and photochemistry of adsorbed molecules. 
  • Electron transport through molecular layers and wires. 
  • Classical and quantum thermodynamics of energy conversion processes. 

 

 

 

Courses Taught

Chemical Dynamics 526

Mathematics for Chemistry 721

Selected Publications

BOOK

A. Nitzan

Chemical Dynamics in Condensed Phases

Oxford University Press, 2nd edition 2024 (756 pages)

 

PAPERS (Last 15 years)

E. Abraham, M. Dinpajooh, C. Climent, and A. Nitzan, Heat Transport with a Twist,  J. Chem. Phys. 159, 174904 (2023), https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0171680

T. E. Li, A. Nitzan, J. E. Subotnik, Energy-efficient pathway for selectively exciting solute molecules to high vibrational states via solvent vibration-polariton pumping,  Nat. Communications 2022,    https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31703-8

A. Nitzan and B. Cui, Collective response in light–matter interactions: The interplay between strong coupling and local dynamics, J. Chem. Phys. 157, 114108 (2022)      https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0101528

T.E. Li, A. Nitzan and J. E. Subotnik, Cavity Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Liquid Water under Vibrational Ultrastrong Coupling, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 117, 18324-18331 (2020), https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2009272117

M Gómez-Castaño, A Redondo-Cubero, L Buisson, J Luis Pau, A Mihi, S Ravaine, R A L Vallée. A Nitzan, M Sukharev, Energy Transfer and Interference by Collective Electromagnetic Coupling, Nano Lett. 198, 5790-5795 (2019), https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b02521

M. Sukharev and A. Nitzan, Optics of exciton-plasmon nanomaterials, J. Phys.: Cond. Matt. 29, 443003 (2017), https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-648X/aa85ef 

G. T. Craven and A. Nitzan, Electron transfer across a thermal gradient, PNAS, 113, 9421–9429 (2016), http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1609141113

C. Jia, A. Migliore, N. Xin, S. Huang, J. Wang, Q. Yang, S. Wang, H. Chen, D. Wang, B. Feng, Z. Liu, G. Zhang, D. Qu, Z. Liu, H. Tian, M. A. Ratner, H. Xu, A. Nitzan*, and X Guo* (*Corresponding Authors), Covalently bonded single-molecule junctions with stable and reversible photoswitched conductivity, Science, 352, 1443-45 (2016), https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaf6298

K. Kaasbjerg and A. Nitzan, Theory of light emission from quantum noise in plasmonic contacts: above-threshold, emission from higher-order electron-plasmon scattering, Phys. Rev. Letters, 114, 126803(1-5) (2015)

A. Migliore and A. Nitzan, Irreversibility and hysteresis in redox molecular conduction junctions, J.Am.Chem.Soc, 135, 9420-32 (2013)

K. Kaasbjerg, T. Novotny and A. Nitzan, Carrier-induced renormalization of vibrational frequencies in nanoscale junctions: Signatures of vibrational damping and heating, Phys. Rev. B (Rapid Communication), 88, 201405(R) (2013) (Editor Choice)

J. Gersten, K. Kaasbjerg and A. Nitzan, Induced spin filtering in electron transmission through chiral molecular layers adsorbed on metals with strong spin-orbit coupling, J. Chem. Phys. 139, 114111(1-20) (2013)

H. Nakanishi, K. J. M. Bishop, B. Kowalczyk, A. Nitzan, E. A. Weiss, K. V. Tretiakov, M. M. Apodaca, R. Klajn, J. F. Stoddart and B. A. Grzybowski, Photoconductance and inverse photoconductance in films of functionalized metal nanoparticles, Nature, 460, 371-375 (2009)

S. S. Skourtis, D. N. Beratan, R. Naaman, A. Nitzan and D. H. Waldeck, Chiral control of electron transmission through molecules, Phys. Rev. Letters, 101, 238103(1-4) (2008)

 

 

Affiliations
CV (file)
nitzancv.pdf396.82 KB