American chemist and researcher
Larry Curtiss |
|---|
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin-Madison (BA), Carnegie-Mellon University (PhD) |
|---|
| Occupation | Chemist |
|---|
| Organization(s) | Argonne National Laboratory, Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, the Center for Electrochemical Energy Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science |
|---|
| Known for | Gaussian-n series, lithium-air batteries |
|---|
| Awards | University of Chicago Distinguished Performance Award |
|---|
| Website | www.anl.gov/profile/larry-a-curtiss |
|---|
Larry A. Curtiss is an American chemist and researcher. He was born in Madison. WI. in 1947. He is a distinguished fellow and group leader of the Molecular Materials Group in the Materials Science Division at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory.[1] In addition, Curtiss is a senior investigator in the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR), a DOE Energy Storage Hub, and was the deputy director of the Center for Electrochemical Energy Science, a DOE Energy Frontier Research Center.[1]
Curtiss is a specialist in developing quantum chemical methods for accurate energy calculations and applying these methods to energy- and material-related problems, including those related to catalysis, batteries, and carbon materials. His work has been cited over 67,000 times.[2]
Curtiss is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.[3]
Early life and education
Curtiss received his bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1969.[1] He then attended Carnegie-Mellon University, where he completed his master's in physical chemistry in 1971, and his Ph.D. in physical chemistry in 1973.[1][4] While a graduate student, he worked under the supervision of pioneering chemist Sir John Anthony Pople, who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work on computational methods in quantum chemistry.[5] Curtiss's thesis focused on quantum chemical studies of hydrogen bonded complexes. After graduating in 1973, he became a research fellow at Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio until 1976.[1][4]
Curtiss joined Argonne in 1976 as a research associate in Argonne's former Chemical Technology Division, where he rose through the ranks to become senior scientist in 1988.[4] In 1998, Curtiss was appointed to his current position as senior scientist and group leader of the Molecular Materials Group within Argonne's Materials Science Division.[4] From 2006 until 2009, he was also an acting group leader at the Center for Nanoscale Materials, and from 2004 until 2018, Curtiss was a senior fellow of the University of Chicago/Argonne Computation Institute.[4] In 2000, Curtiss was named an Argonne Distinguished Fellow.[3]
Research
Developing and applying computational chemistry methods
Curtiss helped develop the Gaussian-n series of quantum chemical methods for accurate energy calculations (G1, G2, G3, and G4 theories).[6][7][8][9] These methods are for calculating the thermochemical properties of molecules and ions.
Modeling lithium-ion batteries and beyond-lithium-ion batteries
Curtiss is also involved in developing so-called "beyond-lithium-ion" batteries, such as lithium-sulfur and lithium–air batteries. He helped create a Li-O2 battery that runs on lithium superoxide.[10][11] Curtiss and researchers from Argonne and the University of Illinois also designed a lithium-air battery that works in a natural air environment for over 700 charge and discharge cycles, surpassing previous technology.[12][13]
