Optical Absorption Spectroscopy of Metal Containing Molecules

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This research is funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division. In three related tasks Steimle will: a) detect and characterize transition metal dioxides using transient frequency modulation (TFM) spectroscopy; b) detect and characterize by laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy Fe-containing molecules thought to be catalytic intermediates in flame suppression; and c) perform Zeeman and Stark spectroscopy to characterize 3d transition metal monoxides and mononitrides. The metal-containing radicals will be generated using either an existing laser ablation/supersonic expansion source or a dc-discharge/supersonic expansion source. The molecular species will be characterized through the analysis of their electronic spectra as well as of the optical Stark and Zeeman spectral splittings. Understanding the oxidation reaction of transition metals is both of fundamental importance in chemistry and is crucial to many related areas such as surface science and metallurgy. Certain Fe-containing compounds have been found to be substantially more effective at flame inhibition and are environmentally friendlier than halogen-containing compounds, whose use is being phased out. The proposed research will make important contributions to the understanding of these topics. Although the experiments and the analyses of the results are complex and sophisticated, they lend themselves to the involvement by graduate and undergraduate students who work under the supervision of the principal investigator