In this Experimental Physical Chemistry project, funded by the Chemistry Division, Prof. James Farrar (University of Rochester) will conduct spectroscopic studies of singly and doubly charged ions, prepared by a novel laser vaporization method in clusters with controlled numbers of polar solvent molecules. Combined with ab initio quantum calculations, these experiments will reveal specific features of solvent dependent charge transfer processes. %%% Clusters, in which a molecule is surrounded by only a few weakly associated neighbors, represent a unique state of matter with properties between those of gases and liquids. Prof. Farrar (University of Rochester) has developed a new method of preparing clusters with an electric charge and a closely controlled cluster size, and will use lasers to study how the properties of the cluster change as the number of molecules in the cluster increases. This will provide a beautifully detailed, step-by-step picture of how solvents affect properties of the dissolved material. The results are of fundamental importance to our understanding of how and why solvents influence chemical reactivity.
