Henry Snowden

Henry Snowden is a PhD student developing computational models to understand how laser-generated excited electrons evolve and interact with molecules on metal surfaces.

PhD Research

Started: September 2023

Office: G205, Department of Chemistry

Henry’s doctoral work focuses on computationally modeling photocatalytic mechanisms by simulating electron dynamics following laser exposure. His research explores how laser-generated excited electrons evolve over time and how they can interact with adsorbates on metal surfaces.

Research Approach

Henry is developing an Enhanced Two-Temperature Model (ETTM) to capture non-equilibrium electron behavior more accurately than existing approaches. This improved model is then applied to surface-hopping dynamics simulations for studying photocatalytic processes.

The work has important implications for:

• Solar energy conversion
• Light-driven catalysis
• Sustainable chemical synthesis
• Understanding fundamental photochemical processes

Educational Background

Henry completed his M.Chem in computational chemistry at the University of Liverpool, where he conducted two significant research projects:

• Undergraduate Research: Used DFT calculations to examine activation energies in CO₂ reduction on intermetallic materials (supervised by Dr. Dyer)
• Master’s Project: Applied DFT and STM simulations to determine the structure of ice formations on highly stepped surfaces (supervised by Dr. Darling)

This background in both catalysis and surface science provides an excellent foundation for his current PhD research in photocatalysis.