Kenneth R. Leopold

Kenneth R. Leopold serves as a Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Minnesota's College of Science & Engineering. His office is located at 217 Smith Hall, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, with laboratory facilities in 37 Smith Hall. Contact is available via email (kleopold@umn.edu) or phone (612) 625-6072).

His research program bridges physical, inorganic, and atmospheric chemistry through investigations of molecular structure, unconventional bonding phenomena, and microsolvation-driven chemical transformations. Utilizing high-resolution microwave spectroscopy and computational modeling, his group studies gas-phase molecular clusters to understand how molecular properties evolve toward bulk behavior, with deliberate focus on atmospheric relevance. Current projects include proton transfer studies using superacids, atmospheric chemistry of carboxylic sulfuric anhydrides, and microsolvation mechanisms in chemical reactions.

Professor Leopold's laboratory employs advanced instrumentation including cavity-based and chirped-pulse Fourier transform microwave spectrometers capable of 3 GHz spectral coverage. His team developed DAPPERS (Data Analysis Package for Productive and Enthusiastic Rotational Spectroscopists), a comprehensive software suite for rotational spectroscopy data processing featuring graphical peak identification, spectral progression analysis, and integration with Pickett's SPCAT/SPFIT programs.