9350995 Baum The project will enhance the physical chemistry experience of undergraduates by exposing them to state-of-the art techniques involving laser-based spectroscopy and molecular modeling. The major focus of this project will be to show students how experiment and theory complement one another in determining the properties of molecules. The requested low-cost instrumentation will allow implementation of a variety of projects including laser Raman spectroscopy, laser induced fluorescence, kinetics of fast excited- state reactions (down to 5 ns) and bimolecular processes, and the study of charge transfer complexes. In each case, the student will utilize SPARTAN to calculate and visualize the molecular properties appropriate to the experiment such as geometry, bond strength, vibrational modes, molecular orbitals, electron density, excited-- state properties, ionization energies, and intermolecular interactions. These activities will illustrate many of the important concepts and applications of physical chemistry.
