Rudolph Marcus of the California Institute of Technology is supported by an award from the Theoretical and Computational Chemistry program to develop kinetic models to explain puzzling and unexplained experimental observations that challenge our understanding of nature. The phenomena under study include 1) infrared laser-selective chemistry in a large heterogeneous system; 2) "on-water" reactions in organic/water emulsions; 3) oscillations in denaturing green fluorescent protein; 4) rapid electron transfer in the deep-inverted region.
The research has broad relevance to many important issues facing society such as green chemistry, atmospheric chemistry, and solar energy conversion. As a Nobel Laureate, Professor Marcus gives lectures on his research and on other scientific subjects to a wide variety of audiences.
We studied fundamental time-dependent processes in chemistry that can have a number of applications to different societal problems. One of these studies can lead to a better understanding of early reaction steps in dye-sensitized solar cell energy conversion, as well as serve as a paradigm for other less studied newer solar energy conversion processes. Another study, a single particle investigation of the intermittently fluorescence of semiconductor nanoparticles, can have potential use in selecting biological sensors. We also gave a theoretical understanding of a new form of catalysis of certain organic reactions occurring in emulsions at water-oil interfaces, and for similar reactions catalyzed by metal oxide surfaces containing hydroxyl groups. Each of these catalytic studies may have potential application to green chemistry. We also studied the unusual fractionation of oxygen isotopes in the stratosphere, with a view to understanding the isotopic behavior of ozone and other constituents there. These investigations involve the setting up of theories based on chemical and physical concepts with mathematics used to implement these ideas. An aim is to explain existing experimental results in the laboratory and make predictions for new experiments. The research, fundamental in nature, ultimately provides a route to a deeper understanding of different scientific problems of societal interest In the course of this research, several graduate students received their doctorates in chemistry and several postdoctoral students received further training in research. These dedicated scientists will all contribute to society as educators or as researchers in industry. These investigations also serve as a basis for the principal investigator‘s lectures to scientific, groups at national and international meetings, as well as to general audiences and to high school student groups. The research provides a basis for these discussions of particular scientific researches, as well as of science and its application to society-oriented problems.
