CAREER: Femtosecond Infrared Spectroscopic Study of Interfacial Chemical Reaction Dynamics in Semiconductor Nanoparticle Colloids

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Tianquan Lian of Emory University is supported by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program to investigate the dynamics of chemical reactions occurring at the semiconductor-liquid interface of nanoparticle colloids using femtosecond infrared laser spectroscopy. He will focus on two fundamental processes in these systems: photo-induced interfacial charge transfer dynamics and the subsequent interfacial bimolecular chemical reaction dynamics of radicals. The education plan of this CAREER award emphasizes the incorporation of laser spectroscopy into the undergraduate curricula, as well as the implementation of Problem Based Learning techniques in undergraduate science classes. Semiconductor nanoparticles are an important class of new materials. They offer unique opportunities to study fundamental problems in the interdisciplinary areas of chemistry, physics and materials science, as well as many potential applications such as solar energy conversion, waste degradation, and nanoelectronics. The detailed understanding resulting from these studies will have an important impact on the application of semiconductor nanoparticles, since the processes to be studied determine the efficiency and the chemical stability of any devices made from such nanoparticles. Results from this study will also add to the general understanding of the dynamics in the solid-liquid interface, which is essential for the design and application of many important devices and processes such as the solar cell, electrochemistry and heterogeneous catalysis.