Research Interests

Statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, Theory of liquids and solutions, Molecular biology, Electrochemical capacitors and electrical energy storage systems, Statistical methods in computational science especially molecular simulation

Education

B.S., Michigan State University, 1972
M.S., University of Illinois, 1974
Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1977

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Lawrence R. Pratt, the Herman and George R. Brown Chair in Chemical Engineering, conducts research in thermodynamics and statistical thermodynamics, with applications in solution thermodynamics, biological thermodynamics, interfacial and assembled systems, super-capacitors for electrical energy storage, and charge transport in solution, ion channels, and fuel cell membranes.

Dr. Pratt grew up in Flint, Michigan, attending Michigan State University where he obtained his Bachelors Degree (1972). He subsequently obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (1977), followed by a post-doctoral appointment at Harvard University. Prior to joining Tulane University in 2008, he held appointments in Chemistry at the University of California Berkeley and as a Technical Staff Member at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

To date, Dr. Pratt has authored 130 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and presented over 150 invited lectures. He has made ground-breaking contributions in the understanding of the immiscibility of oil and water, beginning with the inceptive paper “Theory of the Hydrophobic Effect” (Journal of Chemical Physics 1977), commonly referred to as Pratt-Chandler Theory. He has organized international symposia and workshops on a wide range of topics, including: electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic phenomena, and hydration. Most recently he has coauthored the monograph “The Potential Distribution Theorem and Models of Molecular Solutions” (Cambridge University Press 2006). Dr. Pratt has wide ranging collaborations, and a number of his former students and post-doctoral advises have gone on to research positions in Federal Laboratories as well as faculty appointments in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering departments. Dr. Pratt’s contributions to thermodynamics and liquid state theory have earned him an international reputation for scientific excellence befitting his appointment as the Herman and George R. Brown Chair in Chemical Engineering.

The Brown Chair was created by The Brown Foundation to support and advance Tulane University's teaching and research in chemical engineering. The Brown Foundation was established in 1951 by Margrett Root Brown, Herman Brown, Alice Pratt Brown, and George R. Brown. Herman and George Brown were chief officers of Brown and Root, Inc., one of the world’s largest construction and engineering firms. Through the Herman and George R. Brown Chair in Chemical Engineering, the Brown Foundation has enabled Tulane University to make a distinguished and lasting addition to its engineering faculty and thus to the quality of its teaching and research.

Curriculum Vitae »

Publications

1. S. Chempath and L. R. Pratt, “Distribution of binding energies of a water molecule in the water liquid-vapor interface, ''Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2008 (in press).
2. S. Chempath, L. R. Pratt, and M. E. Paulaitis, “Quasi-chemical theory with a soft cutoff.'' Journal of Chemical Physics, 2008 (submitted, http://arxiv.org/abs/0811.0583).
3. D. Asthagiri, S. Merchant, L. R. Pratt, “Role of attractive methane-water interactions in the potential of mean force between methane molecules in water.'' Journal of Chemical Physics, 2008, 128, 244512.
4. S. Chempath, B. R. Einsla, L. R. Pratt, C. S. Boncella, J. M. Macomber, J. A. Rau, and B. S. Pivovar, “Mechanism of tetraalkylammonium headgroup degradation in alkaline fuel cell membranes.'' Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2008, 112, 3179.
5. J. K. Shah, D. Asthagiri, L. R. Pratt, and M. E. Paulaitis, “Balancing local order and long-ranged interactions in the molecular theory of liquid water.'' Journal of Chemical Physics, 2007, 127, 144508.
6. D. Asthagiri, H. S. Ashbaugh, A. Piryatinski, M. E. Paulaitis, and L. R. Pratt, “Non-van der Waals treatment of the hydrophobic solubility of CF4.'' Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2007, 129, 10133.
7. T. M. McCleskey, D. S. Ehler, T. S. Keizer, D. N. Asthagiri, L. R. Pratt, R. Michalczyk, and B. L. Scott, “Beryllium displacement of H+ from strong hydrogen bonds.'' Angewandte Chemie - Int. Ed., 2007, 46, 2669.
8. H. S. Ashbaugh and L. R. Pratt, “Contrasting non-aqueous against aqueous solvation on the basis of scaled-particle theory,” 2007, Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2007, 111, 9330.
9. M. A. Gomez, L. R. Pratt, Joel D. Kress, and D. Asthagiri, “Water adsorption and dissociation on BeO (001) and (100) surfaces.” Surface Science, 2007, 601, 1608.
10. L. R. Pratt and D. Asthagiri, “Potential distribution methods and free energy models of molecular solutions,” in FREE ENERGY CALCULATIONS. THEORY AND APPLICATIONS IN CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY, Springer Series in Chemical Physics, Vol. 86 (2007), Chipot, C.; Pohorille, Andrew (Eds.).
11. H. S. Ashbaugh and L. R. Pratt, “Scaled-particle theory and the length scales of hydrophobicity,'' Reviews of Modern Physics, 2008, 78, 159.
12. A. Paliwal, D. Asthagiri, L. R. Pratt, H. S. Ashbaugh, M. E. Paulaitis, “An analysis of molecular packing and chemical association in liquid water using quasi-chemical theory,“ Journal of Chemical Physics, 2006, 124, 224502.
13. D. Asthagiri, L. R. Pratt, and M. E. Paulaitis, “Role of fluctuations in a snug-fit mechanism of KcsA channel selectivity,'' Journal of Chemical Physics, 2006, 125, 124701.
14. T. L. Beck, M. E. Paulaitis, and L. R. Pratt, THE POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION THEOREM AND MODELS OF MOLECULAR SOLUTIONS, Cambridge University Press, 2006.
15. H. S. Ashbaugh, L. R. Pratt, M. E. Paulaitis, J. Clohecy, and T. L. Beck, “Deblurred observation of the molecular structure of a water-oil interface,'' Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2005, 127, 2808.
16. D. Asthagiri, L. R. Pratt, and J. D. Kress, “Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics and Quasi-chemical Study of H+(aq),'' Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 2005, 102, 6704.
17. S. B. Rempe D. Asthagiri, L. R. Pratt, “Inner Shell Definition and Absolute Hydration Free Energy of K+(aq) on the Basis of Quasi-chemical Theory and Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics." PCCP, 2004, 6, 1966.
18. D. Asthagiri, L. R. Pratt, J. D. Kress, M. A. Gomez, “Hydration and Mobility of HO-(aq).'' Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 2004, 101, 7229.
19. M. Eikerling, S. J. Paddison, L. R. Pratt, and T. A. Zawodzinski, Jr., “Defect Structure for Proton Transport in Triflic Acid Monohydrate Solid.'' Chemical Physics Letters, 2003, 368, 108.
20. D. Asthagiri and L. R. Pratt, “Quasi-Chemical Studies of Be2+ Speciation in Water,'' Chemical Physics Letters, 2003, 371, 613.
21. H. S. Ashbaugh, D. Asthagiri, L. R. Pratt, and S. B. Rempe, “Hydration of Krypton and Consideration of Clathrate Models of Hydrophobic Effects from the Perspective of Quasi-Chemical Theory,'' Biophysical Chemistry, 2003, 105, 321.
22. L. R. Pratt, “Modeling and Molecular Theory of Liquids.'' in THEORY IN ACTION: HIGHLIGHTS IN THE THEORETICAL DIVISION AT LOS ALAMOS 1943-2003, LA-14000-H (history report unclassified).
23. D. Asthagiri, L. R. Pratt, H. S. Ashbaugh, “Absolute Hydration Free Energies of Ions, Ion-Water Clusters, and Quasi-chemical Theory,'' Journal of Chemical Physics, 2003, 119, 2702.
24. L. R. Pratt and H. S. Ashbaugh, “Self Consistent Molecular Field Theory for Packing in Classical Liquids,'' Physical Review E, 2003, 68, 021505.
25. D. Asthagiri, L. R. Pratt, J. D. Kress, and M. A. Gomez, “The hydration state of HO-(aq),'' Chemical Physics Letters, 2003, 380, 530.
26. D. Asthagiri, L. R. Pratt, J. D. Kress, “Free Energy of Liquid Water on the Basis of Quasi-Chemical Theory and Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics,'' Physical Review E, 2003, 68}, 041505.
27. R. A. LaViolette, K. L. Copeland, and L. R. Pratt, “Cages of Water Coordinating Kr in Aqueous Solution,'' Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 2003, 107}, 11267.
28. D. Asthagiri, L. R. Pratt, M. E. Paulaitis, and S. B. Rempe, “Hydration Structure and Free Energy of Biomolecularly Specific Aqueous Dications, including Zn2+ and First-Transition-Row Metals,'' Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2003, 126, 1285.
29. L. R. Pratt, “Molecular Theory of Hydrophobic Effects: `She is too mean to have her name repeated,' '' Annual Review of Physical Chemistry, 2002, 53, 409.
30. L. R. Pratt and A. Pohorille, “Hydrophobic Effects and Modeling of Biophysical Aqueous Solution Interfaces,'' Chemical Reviews, 2002, 102, 2671.
31. P. Grabowski, D. Riccardi, M. A. Gomez, D. Asthagiri, and L. R. Pratt, “Quasi-chemical Theory and the Standard Free Energy of H+ (aq),'' Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 2002, 106, 9145.
32. M. E. Paulaitis and L. R. Pratt, “Hydration Theory for Molecular Biophysics.” Advances in Protein Chemistry, 2002, 62, 283.
33. S. B. Rempe and L. R. Pratt, “The Hydration Number of Na+ in Liquid Water,'' Fluid Phase Equilibria, 2001, 121, 183.
34. S. J. Paddison, L. R. Pratt, and T. A. Zawodzinski, Jr., “Variation of the Dissociation Constant of Triflic Acid with Hydration,'' Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 2001, 105, 6266.
35. L. R. Pratt, R. A. LaViolette, M. A. Gomez, and M. E. Gentile, “Quasi-Chemical Theory for the Statistical Thermodynamics of the Hard Sphere Fluid,'' Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2001, 105, 11662.
36. Susan B. Rempe, L. R. Pratt, Gerhard Hummer, Joel D. Kress, Richard L. Martin, and Antonio Redondo, “The Hydration Number of Li+ in Liquid Water,'' Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2000, 122, 966.
37. G. Hummer, S. Garde, A. E. García, L. R. Pratt, “New Perspectives on Hydrophobic Effects,'' Chemical Physics, 2000, 258, 349.
38. M. A. Gomez, L. R. Pratt, G. Hummer, and S. Garde, “Molecular Realism in Default Models for Information Theories of Hydrophobic Effects,'' Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 1999, 103, 3520.
39. L. R. Pratt, S. Garde, and G. Hummer, “Theories of Hydrophobic Effects and the Description of Free Volume in Complex Liquids.” in NEW APPROACHES TO PROBLEMS IN LIQUID STATE THEORY, 1999, NATO Science Series 529, Kluwer, 407.

Teaching

• Thermodynamics and Properties of Matter
• Thermodynamisc I
• Applied Statistical Mechanics