Vitaliy Kapko
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Ph.D., National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 2002
Home Department Physics
ASU Affiliations Center for Biological Physics
Areas of Study Statistical mechanics and Condensed Matter Theory


Background My current research is focused on the study of structure and properties of zeolites frameworks. Zeolites are crystalline aluminosilicates with regular systems of channels and cavities of molecular dimensions (ca 3-15 Angst.) Due to their unique ability for selective sorption and presence of acid catalytic sites, zeolites are among the most important industrial catalysts. The majority of the world's gasoline is produced by the fluidized catalytic cracking of oil in zeolites.
At present moment the 179 zeolite frameworks have been discovered in nature or have been synthesized (http://www.iza-structure.org/databases), and their number is still growing.
On the other hand, the computer generated data base (http://www.hypotheticalzeolites.net) has over 5 millions of hypothetical frameworks. Our goal (in collaboration with prof. Michael M.J. Treacy) is to develop the statistical mechanics methods for prediction of the sorption and diffusion properties of hypothetical zeolites in order to identify potentially useful candidates for synthesis.
My previous experience was in statistical mechanics of liquids (integral equations theory for correlation functions), study ergodicity breaking in supercooled liquids and electron transfer.

Benzene molecule absorbed in Faujasite zeolite. Yellow tetrahedra represent primary building units
TO4 (T = Si or Al)
vitaliy.jpg
Vitaliy Kapko
Arizona State University
Department of Physics
PO Box 871504

phone: 480 965 8897
email:
Vitaliy.Kapko*AT*asu.edu
[Publication] D. N. LeBard, V. Kapko, and D. V. Matyushov, "Energetics and kinetics of primary charge separation in bacterial photosynthesis", J. Phys. Chem. B, submitted.
[Publication] V. Kapko, D. V. Matyushov and C.A. Angell, "Thermodynamics and dynamics of a monoatomic glass former. Constant pressure and constant volume behavior", J. Chem. Phys, in press.
[Publication] M. F. Holovko, V. Kapko, (2007) "Ion-dipole model for electrolyte solutions: Application of the associative mean spherical approximation", Condensed Matter Physics, 10 397-406.
[Publication] V. Kapko, D.V. Matyushov, (2006) "Dynamical arrest of electron transfer in liquid crystalline solvent", J. Phys. Chem. B, 110, 13184-13194.