Peter B. Armentrout
Encyclopedia
Peter B. Armentrout is a reseacher in thermochemistry
, kinetics
, and dynamics of simple and complex chemical reaction
s. He is a Chemistry Professor at the University of Utah
.
in 1975 and earned his Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology
in 1980. During these studies he determined that much of the published information on thermodynamic state
s was not reliable, or was presented in differing formats. When he became a research professor he used this frustration as motivation to invent and construct the guided ion-beam tandem mass spectrometer
, which provided highly accurate thermodynamic measurements. With this instrument in hand, he went on to invent or improve tools to analyze those measurements, including advanced computer algorithm
s. He has published much data on the properties of transition metal
s, and has worked most recently on the thermodynamic properties of biological systems
.
Thermochemistry
Thermochemistry is the study of the energy and heat associated with chemical reactions and/or physical transformations. A reaction may release or absorb energy, and a phase change may do the same, such as in melting and boiling. Thermochemistry focuses on these energy changes, particularly on the...
, kinetics
Chemical kinetics
Chemical kinetics, also known as reaction kinetics, is the study of rates of chemical processes. Chemical kinetics includes investigations of how different experimental conditions can influence the speed of a chemical reaction and yield information about the reaction's mechanism and transition...
, and dynamics of simple and complex chemical reaction
Chemical reaction
A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. Chemical reactions can be either spontaneous, requiring no input of energy, or non-spontaneous, typically following the input of some type of energy, such as heat, light or electricity...
s. He is a Chemistry Professor at the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
.
Career
Armentrout received his B.S. degree from Case Western Reserve UniversityCase Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
in 1975 and earned his Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
in 1980. During these studies he determined that much of the published information on thermodynamic state
Thermodynamic state
A thermodynamic state is a set of values of properties of a thermodynamic system that must be specified to reproduce the system. The individual parameters are known as state variables, state parameters or thermodynamic variables. Once a sufficient set of thermodynamic variables have been...
s was not reliable, or was presented in differing formats. When he became a research professor he used this frustration as motivation to invent and construct the guided ion-beam tandem mass spectrometer
Spectrometer
A spectrometer is an instrument used to measure properties of light over a specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, typically used in spectroscopic analysis to identify materials. The variable measured is most often the light's intensity but could also, for instance, be the polarization...
, which provided highly accurate thermodynamic measurements. With this instrument in hand, he went on to invent or improve tools to analyze those measurements, including advanced computer algorithm
Algorithm
In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm is an effective method expressed as a finite list of well-defined instructions for calculating a function. Algorithms are used for calculation, data processing, and automated reasoning...
s. He has published much data on the properties of transition metal
Transition metal
The term transition metal has two possible meanings:*The IUPAC definition states that a transition metal is "an element whose atom has an incomplete d sub-shell, or which can give rise to cations with an incomplete d sub-shell." Group 12 elements are not transition metals in this definition.*Some...
s, and has worked most recently on the thermodynamic properties of biological systems
Systems biology
Systems biology is a term used to describe a number of trends in bioscience research, and a movement which draws on those trends. Proponents describe systems biology as a biology-based inter-disciplinary study field that focuses on complex interactions in biological systems, claiming that it uses...
.
Awards
- 1984-1989 National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator AwardPresidential Young Investigator AwardThe Presidential Young Investigator Award was awarded by the National Science Foundation. The program operated from 1984 to 1991, and was replaced by the NSF Young Investigator Awards and Presidential Faculty Fellows Program...
- 2001 Biemann MedalAmerican Society for Mass SpectrometryThe American Society for Mass Spectrometry is a professional association based in the United States that supports the scientific field of mass spectrometry. As of 2007, the society had approximately 7000 members primarily from the US, but also from around the world...
- Case Western Chemistry Department - Outstanding Alumnus of the Year
- American Chemical SocietyAmerican Chemical SocietyThe American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
Utah Section - Award of Chemistry - Member of Phi Kappa PhiPhi Kappa PhiThe Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education"...
Honor Society - 2009 American Chemical Society - Award for Outstanding Achievement in Mass Spectrometry