HUMBOLDT-UNIVERSITÄT ZU BERLIN

Theoretical Chemistry

Group Prof. Dr. Vlasta Bonačić-Koutecký

Photo of Prof. Dr. Vlasta Bonačić-Koutecký

Prof. Dr. Vlasta Bonačić-Koutecký


Department of Chemistry
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Brook-Taylor-Str. 2
D-12489 Berlin
Room:
Phone:
Fax:
eMail: 		3'307
+49 (030) 2093-5579
+49 (030) 2093-5573
vbk@chemie.hu-berlin.de

Major research areas

Research in the theoretical chemistry group covers the field of chemical physics including ab initio quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics in the context of electronic structure and functional properties of nanoclusters as well as the theoretical bioorganic photochemistry. The choice of the scientific problems and the interest in developing theoretical methods is strongly oriented towards extracting chemical and physical properties of the studied systems, providing the interpretation and basic understanding of the experimental results as well as proposing new experiments. The central topics are:
  1. Chemical reaction control or laser selective chemistry of nanoclusters with tailored light fields (ultrashort laser pulse shaping);
  2. Optical properties and optimal control of hybrid metal-biomolecule systems;
  3. Photophysical and photochemical size selective properties of metallic clusters and their potential for optical storage elements and for emitters in optical devices;
  4. Structure-reactivity relationships of metal oxide clusters as foundations for the development and design of nanoscale catalytic materials;
  5. Influence of metal ions on conformational changes in proteins.

Publications

Curriculum vitæ

1967 Diploma in Physics at Natural Science Faculty, the University of Zagreb.
1968 Master Degree in Theoretical Chemistry, the University of Zagreb.
1968-1971 PhD work at Chemistry Department of the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA.
1971-1973 Postdoctoral research at the Belfer Graduate School of Science, Yeshiva University, New York, USA.
1973-1979 Assistant Professor in Chemistry Department at the Freie Universität Berlin.
1977 Habilitation in Theoretical Chemistry at the Freie Universität Berlin.
1979-1980 Researcher at Gesamthochschule Wuppertal.
1982-1994 Professor in Chemistry Department at the Freie Universität Berlin.
since 1994 Professor of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

Honors, awards, and activities in the scientific community

1999 Visiting Miller Professor in the Miller Institute for basic research in Science.
2004 Professeur invité at Ecole Normale Superieure, Lyon.

Cooperations

Numerous cooperations with universities and research institutions in Germany and worldwide, in particular:
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