In this award, funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Prof. Mark A. Johnson of Yale University, and his graduate student colleagues will investigate the vibrational spectra of protonated water clusters and simple molecular ions solvated by water clusters. In addition, Prof. Johnson and his group will begin an investigation of water-mediated charge separation within overall electrically neutral ensembles. The results from this research are expected to provide fundamental information on the nature of the solvation of the proton -- a ubiquitous species that is important in fields as disparate as atmospheric chemistry and molecular biology.
Besides the broader scientific impacts of the research being supported, Prof. Johnson's students will receive broad training in experimental physical chemistry and will benefit with active collaborations with other groups (both theoretical and experimental) conducting research on related projects.
