PNNL

A theoretical chemist who helped answer fundamental questions about attosecond reactions was honored by the American Chemical Society (ACS) for his research leadership.

Xiaosong Li received the 2024 Jack Simons Award in Theoretical Physical Chemistry from the ACS Physical Chemistry Division.

The award recognizes mid- or senior-career scientists who have a long history of exemplary research contributions and are involved in the physical chemistry community. Li will be honored at the ACS fall meeting in August, including giving an invited talk on his research. He’s also invited to give a plenary lecture at the next Telluride School on Theoretical Chemistry.

Li serves in many roles that apply his expertise in integrating chemistry and research computing. At the University of Washington, he is associate vice provost for research cyberinfrastructure and the Larry R. Dalton Endowed Chair in Chemistry. He holds a joint appointment with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), where he is a Laboratory Fellow. He also is a leader in the PNNL-led multi-institutional Interfacial Dynamics in Radioactive Environments and Materials (IDREAM) Energy Frontier Research Center.

His chemistry research focuses on developing and applying time-dependent relativistic and non-relativistic electronic structure theories for studying excited-state chemical processes that underpin energy conversion, photocatalysis, and ultrafast spectroscopies.

"Receiving this award not only honors my contributions but serves as a motivation for the next generation of theoretical physical chemists,” Li said. “It highlights our commitment at IDREAM to tackle complex challenges through innovative research, inspiring young scientists to explore new frontiers in science."

Li’s role with IDREAM includes leading the Early Career Network, which provides engagement and professional development as scientists and engineers build their careers.

The ACS award is named after Simons, a University of Utah professor with nearly 50 years of scientific contributions, a strong focus on understanding the physical and chemical properties of negative molecular ions, and a body of work that includes more than 340 published papers.

Li earned his PhD in theoretical chemistry at Wayne State University. He also recently was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.