CAREER: Effects of Electronic Alignment in Laser Induced M-H2 and M-CH4 Reactions

北卡罗来纳州农工技术大学的所罗门·比利伦得到了实验物理化学项目的支持，他研究了激光诱导的金属-氢(M-H2)和金属-甲烷(M-CH4)反应中的电子排列效应。具体地说，他将研究金属原子的电子结构和电子轨道排列如何影响M-H2和M-CH4络合物的结构和化学反应活性。远翼吸收光谱将被扩展到研究瞬变双分子碰撞络合物的连续态或散射态，并研究LiH_2、ZnH_2和ZnCH_4络合物的退极化、化学猝灭和反应。这些研究的最终目标是对一些金属与碳氢化合物的物理和化学结合有新的理解和详细的知识。与此职业奖项相关的教育活动包括与社区学校的外展计划、与行业的联系、本科生的短期项目以及与本科生和研究生的研究项目相关的课程开发。氢或碳氢键与金属原子中心的相互作用在均相或多相催化和有机金属化学等领域具有重要意义。金属原子活化C-H键是化学中最重要和最基本的反应之一，可能导致更高效和更低成本的催化反应。尽管这很重要，但我们对一些最简单的金属-原子-碳氢反应还没有完全的了解。这些详细的研究将带来对金属与碳氢化合物的物理和化学结合的新的理解和详细的知识。此外，在一所历史悠久的黑人大学进行的这一研究项目将为培训和教育代表性不足的社会成员提供非常基本的研究基础设施，并应被证明在吸引非裔美国人和其他代表性不足的群体从事高级科学研究方面非常有效。

Solomon Bililign of North Carolina A&T University is supported by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program in his studies on the effects of electronic alignment in laser-induced metal-hydrogen (M-H2) and metal-methane (M-CH4) reactions. Specifically, he will investigate how the electronic structure and electronic orbital alignment of a metal atom affects the structure and chemical reactivity of M-H2 and M-CH4 complexes. Far wing absorption spectroscopy will be extended to study the continuum or scattering state of a transient bimolecular collision complex and investigate depolarization, chemical quenching, and reaction in LiH2, ZnH2 and ZnCH4 complexes. The ultimate goal of these studies is to gain new understanding and detailed knowledge about the physical and chemical binding of some metals with hydrocarbons. The educational activities associated with this CAREER award include outreach programs to schools in the community, links to industry, short term projects for undergraduates and course development related to the research project both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The interactions of hydrogen or carbon-hydrogen bonds with metal atom sites is of great interest and importance to areas such as homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysis and organometallic chemistry. C-H bond activation by metal atoms is one of the most important and basic reactions in chemistry and may lead to more efficient and less costly catalytic reactions. Despite this importance, we do not yet have a complete understanding of some of the simplest metal-atom-hydrocarbon reactions. These detailed studies will bring new understanding and detailed knowledge about the physical and chemical binding of metals with hydrocarbons. In addition, this research program at a historically black university will provide a very basic research infrastructure for the training and education of underrepresented members of society and should prove to be very effective in attracting African Americans and other underrepresented groups to advanced research in science.