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other lectures & events
Thursday
19
December
Perlman Chemical Sciences Building
03:00
Chemical and Biological Physics Guest Seminar
Prof. Aharon Brodutch
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Chemical and Biological Physics Guest Seminar
Quantum theory has been incredibly successful at explaining known phenomena and making new predictions that have led to some of the most important scientific and technological breakthroughs in the past century. Quantum computers are arguably the boldest prediction of the theory, but the level of control required to build them is extremely challenging. The requirements for building universal fault tolerant quantum computers (i.e computers that can run any quantum algorithm with high accuracy) are far beyond current capabilities, but less powerful (intermediate) quantum machines are already available, with some accessible online. The minimal requirements for such intermediate machines to significantly outperform ordinary (classical) computers is currently an open area of research. One approach to study the capabilities of intermediate quantum machines, is to study how small subsystems become correlated (and entangled) during a computation. I will provide an overview of work in this direction with some surprising results on the possible role of quantum entanglement. These results provide new insights into quantum theory and quantum technology. University of Toronto
Tuesday
07
January
Helen and Milton A. Kimmelman Building
11:00
A hydrogen-bonded framework toolkit for molecular structure determination
Prof. Michael D. Ward
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A hydrogen-bonded framework toolkit for molecular structure determination
Single crystal X-ray diffraction is arguably the most definitive method for molecular structure determination, but the inability to grow suitable single crystals can frustrate conventional X-ray diffraction analysis. Building on a prolonged examination of hydrogen-bonded frameworks and inclusion compounds derived from guanidinium organosulfonates, we have devised an approach to molecular structure determination that relies on a versatile toolkit of these host frameworks, which form crystalline inclusion compounds with target guest molecules in a single-step crystallization. This approach complements the so-called crystalline sponge method that relies on diffusion of the target into the cages of a metal-organic framework, while circumventing many of its challenges. The peculiar properties of the host frameworks enable rapid stoichiometric inclusion of a wide range of target molecules with full occupancy, typically without disorder and accompanying solvent, affording well-refined structures. Moreover, anomalous scattering by the framework sulfur atoms enables reliable assignment of absolute configuration of stereogenic centers. An ever-expanding library of organosulfonates provides a toolkit of frameworks for capturing specific target molecules for their structure determination. This presentation will describe examples of this approach to structure determination, preceded by an account of the unusual properties and resilience of these hydrogen-bonded frameworks, their substantial diversity of framework architectures, and their utility in other applications. Department of Chemistry and Molecular Design Institute, New York University
Sunday
12
January
Perlman Chemical Sciences Building
02:00
Chemical and Biological Physics Guest Seminar
Prof. Peter Hamm
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Chemical and Biological Physics Guest Seminar
U. of Zurich
Tuesday
28
January
Perlman Chemical Sciences Building
11:00
Chemical and Biological Physics Dept Seminar
Dr Rinat Ankri
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