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Laser Studies of Elementary Chemical Reactions

Laser pulses are used to observe and manipulate fundamental molecular transformations such as bond breaking and bond formation, in order to provide an atomic-level understanding of reactions important in combustion and propulsion chemistry, in the chemistry of the upper atmosphere, and in orbital environments. Current efforts emphasize elementary reactions of O-atoms with H2, H2O, HCN, and CH4. The experiments use state-resolved nanosecond and time-resolved femtosecond spectroscopic techniques, and molecular beam methods to elucidate how these reactions proceed by multiple pathways, correlated with different atomic motions, and marked by different time scales. The data are used to test quantum theoretical predictions for these benchmark chemical systems and in modeling chemical processes which occur in extreme non-equilibrium conditions.

Resources

Intense, narrow bandwidth, tunable laser sources spanning the IR to the vacuum UV; tunable femtosecond lasers; laser-induced fluorescence and photo ionization mass spectrometric detection of trace gas phase species; and pulsed supersonic jet sampling of gases.

References

Obtaining publications

"Mechanism of the Reaction, CH4 + O(1D2) yields CH3 + OH, Studied by Ultrafast and State-Resolved Photolysis/Probe Spectroscopy of the CH4·O3 van der Waals Complex," C. Cameron Miller, Roger D. van Zee, and John C. Stephenson, J. Chem. Phys., 114 (3), 1214 (2001). (Preprint 1134 kB)

"Lifetime of the CH3OH* intermediate in the reaction CH4+O(1D) yields CH3OH* yields CH3+OH," R. D. Van Zee and J. C. Stephenson, J. Chem. Phys. 102, 6946 (1995).

Cluster effects in O3/H2O photochemistry: Dynamics of the O+H2O yields 2OH reaction photo-initiated in the O3·H2O dimer," D. S. King, D. G. Sauder and M. P. Casassa, J. Chem. Phys. 100, 4200 (1994).

"Product kinetic energies, correlations, and scattering anisotropy in the bimolecular reaction O(1D) + H2O yields 2OH," D. S. King, D. G. Sauder and M. P. Casassa, J. Chem. Phys. 97, 5919 (1992).

For technical information or questions, call:
David Plusquellic
Phone: (301) 975-3896
Fax: (301) 869-5700
Email: dplus@nist.gov 		   John Stephenson
Phone: (301)  975-2372
Fax: (301) 869-5700
Email: john.stephenson@nist.gov

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Online: July 1997   -   Last updated: March 2002