In this Experimental Physical Chemistry project,sponsored by the Chemistry Division, Prof. Maroncelli (Pennsylvania State University) will measure picosecond kinetics of excited state proton transfer reactions and their catalysis by alcohol solvents. Mechanistic analysis of the data will be carried out with the aid of molecular dynamic simulations. The result will be a detailed understanding of the role of solvent geometry in assisting this important class of chemical reactions. %%% Chemical reactions in which a single proton hops from place to place in a molecule occur widely in nature, and play a central role in both biochemical and technologically important processes. These reactions are typically too fast to be studied in detail. Prof. Maroncelli (Pennsylvania State University) will address this problem using new, ultrafast optical spectroscopic methods and powerful computer simulations. The result will be a molecular level understanding of one of the most important reactions in chemistry.
