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Troy Van Voorhis is a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research focuses on developing new methods, primarily based on density functional theory (DFT), to accurately describe excited electron motion in molecular systems. His group aims to gain vital insights into electronic processes that underpin modern chemistry, particularly in complex macroscopic transformations that rely on a detailed understanding of fundamental microscopic steps. This approach is crucial for enhancing the efficiency of solar energy harvesting through understanding electron transfer dynamics and charge recombination mechanisms in organic photovoltaic materials. Van Voorhis is also pioneering real-time dynamics methods to probe the non-equilibrium current-voltage characteristics of molecular junctions. His work involves addressing key challenges such as treating dynamics across multiple potential energy surfaces and accurately describing electronic excited states in relation to ground states.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology • Cambridge, MA
Department Head in the Department of Chemistry, leading research in electronic structure theory and molecular systems.