Project Details
Projekt
Ultrafast Dynamics of Bimolecular Reactions in Solution
Applicant
Dr. Katharina Röttger
Subject Area
Physical Chemistry of Molecules, Liquids and Interfaces, Biophysical Chemistry
Term
from 2014 to 2016
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 267090720
The investigation of bimolecular reaction dynamics in solution provides a means of understanding the fundamental aspects and elementary steps that are important in numerous chemical reactions, among them nucleophilic substitution, elimination and addition reactions, and many catalysed reactions. In this project, the influence of hydrogen bonding and complexation on the potential energy landscape of bimolecular reactions in the liquid phase will be investigated. Hydrogen bonds are particularly important in, e.g., enzyme catalysed reactions, where the transition state is characterized by a large number of hydrogen bonds and H-transfer reactions. A detailed understanding of their role is, however, still missing. For this reason, reactions with less complexity, which are expected to shed light on the very basic steps of these reactions, will be investigated in this project. The first part covers the reactions of CN radicals with small reaction partners. The use of co-reactants and solvents with different H-bonding properties is expected to elucidate the role of surrounding solvent molecules on the potential energy landscape by complexation and/or proton transfer reactions. The reactivity of CN and OH radicals in and with water will be investigated in the second part of this project. These reactions will provide direct insight into the role of ubiquitous hydrogen bonds. A combination of femtosecond time-resolved transient IR and UV/vis spectroscopy will be used to look into the formation of the involved complexes, the making and breaking of H-bonds, the rates of product formation and vibrational relaxation mechanisms in real time.
DFG Programme
Research Fellowships
International Connection
United Kingdom
