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Using physical chemistry to understanding our world around us

Abstract

Physical chemistry is often considered to be a well-developed field with rules and concepts that we just need learn, and to apply.  However, as in many fields, the more you learn the more you realise there is still a lot to discover.  The universe is comprised of systems that are constantly change with time or responding to a driving force – the universe is therefore out of equilibrium (a so-called nonequilibrium system). Examples are all around us – a battery discharging, cell growth, transport across a membrane, a person aging or self-assembly due to an electric field. Despite this, a general, complete, fundamental understanding of these nonequilibrium systems at the atomic or molecular level has eluded scientists to date. Although there are often ways to get by without this, a better understanding will enable new scientific advances. In this talk I will highlight some of the theoretical problems, discuss some of the ways around them and paths towards a greater understanding and, ultimately, new technologies. I will also describe the journey that led me to this research area.

Biography

Professor Debra Bernhardt is an ARC Australian Laureate Fellow in the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (SCMB) at The University of Queensland. She is also a Chief Investigator in the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence for Green Electrochemical Transformation of Carbon Dioxide.  Professor Bernhardt’s research program focuses on theoretical and computational approaches to develop a fundamental understanding of the behaviour of matter. She applies these approaches to a wide range of problems, particularly transport in nanoscale systems, nonequilibrium flow, design of materials, energy storage and conversion. She is Fellow of the Australian Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, and was awarded the Royal Australian Chemical Institute’s Margaret Sheil Award for Leadership in 2023. Debra publishes as Debra J. Searles.