Research Interests
Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Molecular Theory of Liquids, Water and Aqueous Solutions Relevant to Molecular Biophysics, Molecular Simulation and Design of Electrical Energy Storage Materials

Dr. Pratt has authored some 180 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and presented about 190 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. 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 received the 2018 Joel Henry Hildebrand Award in the Theoretical and Experimental Chemistry of Liquids, sponsored by Exxon Mobil Research & Engineering administered by ACS. 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.