In this project, funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Dong-Sheng Yang of the University of Kentucky will investigate the electronic spectra, metal-ligand bonding, and molecular structures of gas-phase metal-aromatic complexes by means of Zero Electron Kinetic Energy (ZEKE) photoelectron spectroscopy. The metals are aluminum, copper, and scandium atoms, while the ligands are benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and nitrogen-containing heterocycles. To be determined are the adiabatic ionization potentials, vibrational frequencies, bond energies, electronic states, and molecular structures. This information is critically needed for improving our understanding of metal bonding interactions that are important in organometallic compounds, biological systems, materials synthesis, and homogeneous catalysis, as well as in applications to industrial processes. Graduate and undergraduate students will participate in this research. They will thereby acquire knowledge and skills that prepare them for advanced studies or entry into the scientific/technological workforce.
