Chemical physics and physical chemistry is a closely related research area focused on understanding chemical phenomena using the concepts, theories, and methods of physics. It investigates the structure, dynamics, energetics, and reactivity of atoms, molecules, and condensed phases through quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, spectroscopy, and molecular simulations. Core topics include potential energy surfaces, molecular collisions, photophysics and photochemistry, reaction dynamics, non-equilibrium processes, and the behavior of complex systems such as liquids, interfaces, and nanostructures. The field emphasizes quantitatively predictive models, precise measurement, and the development of experimental and computational techniques to probe and control matter at the molecular and electronic levels.
A research team has proposed a new design principle for QM/MM (quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics) simulations. The approach enables objective and automatic determination of the quantum-mechanical region based on electronic-state ...
Quantum Physics
Jan 26, 2026
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Using catalytic chemistry, researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo have achieved dynamic control of artificial membranes, enabling life-like membrane behavior. The work is published in the Journal of the American Chemical ...
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 28, 2025
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Photoinduced electron/energy transfer reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerization enables precise light-controlled polymer growth. Traditional near-infrared strategies often rely on nonlinear ...
Nanomaterials
Oct 15, 2025
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In a study appearing in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, researchers used quantum-chemical molecular dynamics simulations to visualize the ultrafast formation of polarons—charge carriers stabilized by lattice distortion—in ...
Nanophysics
Sep 30, 2025
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Polaritons are quasiparticles emerging from strong interactions between light particles (i.e., photons) and matter excitations (e.g., excitons). Over the past few years, researchers have found that these quasiparticles can ...
University at Albany chemists have created a new high-energy compound that could revolutionize rocket fuel and make space flights more efficient. Upon ignition, the compound releases more energy relative to its weight and ...
Space Exploration
Aug 27, 2025
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Turbulence, the chaotic, irregular motion that causes the bumpiness we sometimes experience on an airplane, has intrigued scientists for centuries. At the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), researchers are ...
Soft Matter
Aug 22, 2025
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Scientists have long speculated that polaritons—hybrids of light and matter—could be harnessed to control photochemistry. Now, researchers at the City University of New York (CUNY) have shown that these fleeting states ...
Nanophysics
Aug 21, 2025
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Chemistry and physics are combining forces at Columbia, and it's leaving everyone frustrated—in a good way. New work, published in Nature Physics, describes a new two-dimensional material capable of complex quantum behaviors ...
Nanophysics
Aug 7, 2025
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Caltech professor of chemistry Sandeep Sharma and colleagues from IBM and the RIKEN Center for Computational Science in Japan are giving us a glimpse of the future of computing. The team has used quantum computing in combination ...
Quantum Physics
Jun 25, 2025
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