Research Interests:

The focus of Dr. Richardson's research is the study of kinetics. By learning about the kinetics of chemical processes, he can deduce a mechanistic scheme of how chemical transformations occur. Kinetics also allow for understanding the factors that influence the progression of reactions. This knowledge permits Dr. Richardson to make changes in the reaction conditions and/or reagents to manipulate the reaction to suit our needs. A number of physical methods are used by Dr. Richardson to probe reaction kinetics including NMR and UV-Vis. From the data compiled, mathematical equations can be developed to describe the chemical process. Computer simulation may be necessary when reactions are too complex for simple mathematical modeling. His current research interests fall into a couple of broad categories including chemical warfare agent decontamination and transition metal catalysis.