BS, The Ohio State University PhD, University of Delaware Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Additional awards and honors Multiscale modeling of complex reacting systems; design of nanostructured catalysts; discovery of novel biochemical pathways; polymerization and depolymerization kinetics

Research Group Web Site

The scientific motivation driving the work in my research group is unraveling complexity in reacting systems.  We recognize that macroscopic observations are linked to microscopic phenomena, and analysis spanning these regimes provides the best opportunity for fundamental understanding and development of novel engineering strategies.  The systems that we study, however, are sufficiently complex that the atomic-scale events leading to the observed behavior are obscured.  We concentrate our efforts in three main topical areas using a combination of experiment and theory.  Reaction systems that we model may consist of thousands of reactive intermediates and molecules and thus are too large for models to be developed without automated computer tools.  Polymeric systems that we study require description of transformations of high molecular weight chains and evolution of low molecular weight products. Catalytic and biocatalytic systems that we investigate demand quantification of the interaction energies between numerous species and complex catalytic environments.  We therefore develop capabilities to facilitate quantitative analysis and description of complex systems at the macroscopic level, and we devise strategies and apply tools for probing and quantifying molecular-level events.

Recent Publications

Broadbelt, L.J. and Pfaendtner, J., “Lexicography of Kinetic Modeling of Complex Systems”, AIChE J., 2005, 51(8), 2112-2121.

Priestley, R.D., Ellison, C.J., Broadbelt, L.J. and Torkelson, J.M., “Structural Relaxation of Polymer Glasses at Surfaces, Interfaces and in Between”, Science, 2005, 309(5733), 456-459.

González-Lergier, J., Broadbelt, L.J. and Hatzimanikatis, V., “Theoretical Considerations and Computational Analysis of the Complexity in Polyketide Synthesis Pathways”, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2005, 127(27), 9930-9938.

McMillan, S.A., Broadbelt, L.J., and Snurr, R.Q., “Theoretical Modeling of Zeolite Catalysis: Nitrogen Oxide over Metal-Exchanged Zeolites”, Environmental Catalysis, 2005, 287-306.

Wong, H.W., Li, X., Swihart, M.T., and Broadbelt, L.J., “Detailed Kinetic Modeling of Silicon Nanoparticle Formation Chemistry via Automated Mechanism Generation”, J. Phys. Chem. A, 2004, 108(46), 10122-10132.

Li, C., Henry, C.S., Jankowski, M.D., Ionita, J.A., Hatzimanikatis, V. and Broadbelt, L.J., “Computational Discovery of Biochemical Routes to Specialty Chemicals”, Chem. Eng. Sci., 2004, 59(22-23), 5051-5060.

Kruse, T.M., Wong, H.-W., and Broadbelt, L.J., “Mechanistic Modeling of Polymer Degradation: Polypropylene”, Macromolecules, 2003, 36(25), 9594-9607.

Awards and Honors

• Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Fulbright Distinguished Scholar
• Ernest W. Thiele Lecturer, University of Notre Dame
• Defense Science Study Group, Institute for Defense Analysis
• Allan P. Colburn Memorial Lecturer, University of Delaware
• CAREER Award, National Science Foundation
• DuPont Teaching Fellowship in Engineering

Prof. Linda J. Broadbelt
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Northwestern University
2145 Sheridan Road Evanston, IL 60208-3120

tel: 847/491-5351
fax: 847/491-3728
E-mail Professor Broadbelt