Dr. Dennis Lichtenberger, Chemistry Department, University of Arizona, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division to utilize photoelectron spectroscopy to probe electronic structure features that determine electronic communication and electron transfer. Compounds that contain two separate molecular functional units that are in electronic communication will be examined. Molecular functional units will include mixed-valence metal complexes, substituted phthalocyanines and porphyrins, and species containing organic donor-acceptor pairs. The Marcus energy parameters for electron transfer rates will be obtained, the inner-sphere parameters without solvent contributions will be measured, and methods for condensed-phase experiments to allow evaluation of the contributions of the molecular environment and solvation will be developed.
Electronic structure properties that extend toward the nanoscale regime are central to many developing technologies and life processes. Examples include molecular conductors, semiconductors, optoelectronic applications, biological electron transfer, photocatalysis and more. The purpose of this project is to investigate the fundamental electronic structure properties of such systems. In addition, the research has a broad impact on enhancing the infrastructure of science through developing the next-generation instrumentation and methods for photoelectron spectroscopy, and providing access to these capabilities to researchers in both graduate and undergraduate institutions. This photoelectron facility is the only source in the United States for photoelectron measurements on large neutral molecules. The development of human resources in science is promoted by the sharing of students across institutions and by the emphasis on integrating research with teaching, training, and learning. Students from other institutions visit the facility to collect data and learn about electronic structure and photoelectron spectroscopy.
