Chair of chemical physics 2007 - 2012

Chemical physics is a subdiscipline of chemistry and physics that investigates physicochemical phenomena using techniques from atomic and molecular physics. The term was first used by professor A. Eucken in 1930. The main branches of chemical physics are studies of electronic and molecular structure, spectral properties of chemical substances and dynamic behavior of chemical processes. The chair of chemical physics was created in University of Tartu at 1993 and first holder of that position was academician Endel Lippmaa. Peeter Burk has been holding this position since year 2003. Main activities of the chair of chemical physics have been connected with computational modeling of chemical processes and NMR spectroscopy of organic molecules (by Vahur Mäemets). Computational work was first directed towards studies of gas-phase ion-molecule reactions, later several new directions have emerged – studies of zeolites and metal-organic frameworks (Kaido Sillar), quantitative structure activity/properties relationships for predicting physical, chemical and biological properties of molecules (Kaido Tämm), studies of the reaction mechanisms of organic and organometallic reactions (Jaana Tammiku-Taul). The research of the chair of chemical physics have had a clear practical value.