David Horner

David Horner is a physical chemist with interests in computational materials science and computational quantum chemistry.  He carried out research in the multi-disciplinary Molecular Materials group at Argonne National Laboratory, including computational modeling of the growth of diamond films and interactions of carbon nanotubes with diamond surfaces.  He also has research experience in magnetic resonance spectroscopy and experimental chemical kinetics. 

He taught a wide range of courses across NCC's physics and chemistry curricula and managed the Dual-Degree Engineering Program.  He especially enjoyed teaching introductory physics, lab courses in physical chemistry and quantum physics, and data acquisition with LabVIEW.   His general education courses included Landmark Discoveries in Science, which examines the nature of scientific discovery in the work of Copernicus, Newton, Darwin, and Watson & Crick, and the lab course Physics of Music.   

In retirement, Dr. Horner volunteers in the AARP Foundation's Tax-Aide program, which offers free tax preparation help to anyone, with special attention to older, low-income taxpayers.

Selected Scholarship

Horner, D. A.; Sternberg, M.; Zapol, P.; Curtiss, L. A. “Carbon Nanotunnels Form from Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Interacting with a Diamond (100)-(2×1) Surface,” Diamond and Related Materials, 2011, 20, 1103. 

Horner, D. A.; Redfern, P. C.; Sternberg, M.; Zapol, P.; Curtiss, L. A.   "Increased Reactivity of Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes at Carbon Ad-Dimer Defect Sites," Chemical Physics Letters 2007, 450, 71. 
 

Sternberg, M.; Curtiss, L. A.; Gruen, D. M.; Kedziora, G.; Horner, D. A.; Redfern, P. C.; Zapol, P.  "Carbon Ad-Dimer Defects in Carbon Nanotubes," Physical Review Letters 2006, 96, 075506. 

Sternberg, M.; Horner, D. A.; Redfern, P. C.; Zapol, P.; Curtiss, L. A.  “Theoretical Studies of CN and C2 Addition to a (100)-(2×1) Diamond Surface: Nanocrystalline Diamond Growth Mechanisms,” Journal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience, 2005, 2, 207. 

Horner, D. A.; DeGraff, B. A. “Luminescence Decay and Flash Photolysis Experiments Using an Inexpensive, Laser-Based Apparatus”  Journal of Chemical Education, 1996, 73, 279.

Courses Taught

CHM 340, 341: Physical Chemistry

PHY 105: Physics of Music

PHY 141, 142, 143, 244: Introductory Physics

PHY 245: Quantum Physics

PHY 251: Physics of Solids

PHY 450: Advanced Laboratory

SCI 210: Landmark Discoveries in Science