This grant is in the general area of analytical and surface chemistry and in the subfield of analytical spectroscopy. Professor Harris will study changes in molecular structure during laser-initiated chemical reactions using time-resolved laser spectroscopic methods. This research will examine the reaction mechanisms involved in condensed phase laser-initiated reactions involving atoms, free-radicals and polymers. Time-resolved photothermal spectroscopy and resonance Raman spectroscopy will be used to characterize the reactions over time scales ranging from fractions of nanoseconds to seconds. The impact of this work will involve improving the understanding of condensed phase reactions that give rise to interesting products such as polymers.
