Profile
Donald Brenner
brenner@ncsu.edu
919-515-1338
Faculty Links
Education
Ph.D. Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, 1987
B.S. Chemistry, SUNY, 1982
Research Interests
Atomistic simulations of the structure, growth and properties of thin films; simulated engineering of nanometer-scale structures and devices; solid-state chemical dynamics.
Background and Research
Donald Brenner was a staff scientist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory before joining the NCSU faculty in 1994.
His group's research uses atomic-scale computer simulations to develop a fundamental understanding of many-body chemical dynamics in condensed phases, with an emphasis on technologically-important materials and processes. Specific areas of interest currently include molecule-surface collisions and thin film vapor deposition; energy transfer, friction, tribochemistry and their influence on the wear of sliding solid interfaces; shock-induced chemistry in solids; nanometer-scale structure and mechanical properties of grain boundaries in covalent materials; mechanisms of cross-linking and hardening of polymers via ion bombardment; and the development of new strategies for engineering nanometer-scale structures and devices. Much of the engineering of advanced materials and electronic devices in the next century will likely require building structures on a microscopic if not an atom-by-atom level. By exploring this realm, their simulations are helping to lay the foundation for the next generation of materials engineering.