David E. Woon

David E. Woon is a Research Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He holds a Ph.D. in Physics/Metallurgical Engineering from Michigan Technological University (1989). His primary research focuses on computational astrochemistry, quantum chemical studies of interstellar chemistry, and hypervalent bonding mechanisms. Woon leads NASA-funded projects exploring astrochemical processes in protoplanetary disks, Venus' atmosphere, and icy grain mantles. He collaborates with institutions like the Astrochymist initiative and has developed educational modules on chemical bonding funded by the NSF. His work bridges theory and observation, using advanced computational methods to model reaction pathways and spectroscopic properties of astrochemical species.

Research Interests:
- Computational Astrochemistry (interstellar medium, planetary atmospheres)
- Quantum chemistry of small molecules and clusters
- Hypervalent bonding and reaction mechanisms
- Spectroscopic properties of astrophysical ices
- Condensed phase reaction modeling

Projects:

• NASA Emerging Worlds Program: Ice-bound reactions in protoplanetary disks
• NASA Planetary Atmospheres Program: Sulfur chemistry in Venus' atmosphere
• NSF-funded educational module on atomic/molecular bonding

Labs/Teams: Woon collaborates with the Theoretical Chemistry Group at UIUC, particularly with Prof. Thom Dunning Jr., and maintains the Astrochymist website as a resource for astrochemical research.