Rahul Prasanna Misra

Rahul's postdoctoral research deals with the atomistic modeling of electronic polarization effects at solid/water interfaces, which originate as a result of the electric fields exerted by polar molecules like water and charged species such as salt ions. Using a combination of theory, quantum chemical and classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, Rahul is investigating the important role played by molecular electric fields on interfacial thermodynamics and nanoscale transport phenomena. To this end, in collaboration with researchers from the Center for Enhanced Nanofluidic Transport (CENT) – a Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC), Rahul's research aims to bridge the significant length and timescales associated with modeling electronic polarization at the atomistic level all the way to the determination of macroscopic properties (e.g., salt ion diffusion coefficients, electrophoretic mobilities) which are measurable experimentally. When not thinking about research, Rahul loves to spend his spare time listening to music and watching cricket.