In this project in the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Professor James J. Valentini of Columbia University will study the state-to-state dynamics of photodissociation and photo-induced reactions in van der Waals and hydrogen-bonded molecular complexes. The research addresses the influence of many-body interactions, solvent effects, cage effects, mode-selective or bond-selective chemistry, and steric effects in these reactions. The clusters will be excited to a specific vibrational mode via stimulated Raman excitation, and photofragments or reaction products will be detected using laser-induced fluorescence or multiphoton ionization. %%% The study of molecular complexes which are held together with bonds which are weaker than chemical bonds impacts our understanding of many phenomena. For example, the way solids and liquids are formed from condensing vapors or the conditions under which certain surfaces catalyze chemical reactions are governed by the physical forces that hold the separate chemical species together. An understanding of the role of these forces in weakly bound complexes is a major goal of this current project.
