Professor Patricia Hunt

Associate Investigator

Towards Zero Carbon - Catalytic Architectures

Address:
Victoria University of Wellington
School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Laby Building, Kelburn Parade
PO Box 600,
Wellington 6140
New Zealand

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• patricia.hunt@vuw.ac.nz
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Biography

Patricia joined Victoria University of Wellington in 2020 as a Professor of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, moving to NZ from her previous position as Professor at Imperial College London, UK.  Tricia is a world leading expert on molecular level interactions within liquids/solvents, particularly in understanding ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents/electrolytes.  She is an expert in molecular orbital theory and hydrogen bonding.  Tricia obtained her PhD in Theoretical Chemistry from the University of Auckland.  She went on to undertake Post Doc positions at King's College London and then Cambridge University, UK.  She then stayed in the UK securing a prestigious Royal Society University Research Fellowship at Imperial College London.

Research interests

Tricia's group undertakes theoretical development and applies computational modelling to address a range of problems and projects within inorganic, materials and bio related chemistry. Our primary methods are quantum chemical but we also employ classical molecular dynamics simulations in a supporting role. Research spans four overlapping areas; liquids & solvation, catalysis & reactivity, bonding and theory & method development.  Substantial emphasis is placed on incorporating relevant experimental data and collaborating extensively with experimentalists , engineers and industry experts.  Current areas of interest include a wide range of Ionic Liquids (pharmaceuticals, extraction media, solvents, electrolytes) Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) (molten salt, halo-metalate and organic), battery electrolytes, Zn and Al batteries, Hydrogen-bonding, Group II catalysis, Frustrated Lewis Acid Base Pairs (FLPs), Degradation of chemical warfare agents/toxic chemicals.  Theoretical underpinnings of chemical "charge", theoretical foundations of solvation and applications involving solvation.