Infra-red Control of Inelastic Electron Transfer: Toward a Unimolecular Double-Slit Experiment

杜克大学的David N.Beratan在理论和计算化学计划的支持下，设计、分析和解释了具有桥局域振动模式的分子中的非弹性电子转移动力学。他正在开发各种分子中分子内非弹性电子隧穿的解释性和预测性描述，这些分子包括电子供体、刚性桥和电子受体。这项工作是与杜兰大学Rubtsov的实验小组合作，研究双缝电子传输实验和分子电子转移问题之间的相似之处。其目标是定义控制电子转移的新方案，并开发控制分子介导的电子耦合强度的方法。这项工作在发展直觉方面产生了广泛的影响，这种直觉可能会导致在光通信和太阳能收集方面的应用。国际和平协会正在通过向经济弱势群体和历史上代表性不足的群体提供暑期研究机会来促进科学教育。正在为一年级学生开发一个新的课程群，以考察科学的基本哲学基础。

David N. Beratan of Duke University is supported by the Theoretical and Computational Chemistry Program to design, analyze and interpret inelastic electron-transfer kinetics in molecules with bridge-localized vibrational modes. He is developing interpretive and predictive descriptions of intramolecular inelastic electron-tunneling in a variety of molecules containing an electron donor, a rigid bridge, and an electron acceptor. This work is in collaboration with the experimental group of Rubtsov at Tulane to examine analogies between the double slit electron transmission experiment and the molecular electron-transfer problem. The goal is to define new schemes to control electron transfer and to develop approaches to manipulate the strength of molecule-mediated electronic coupling. This work is having a broad impact in developing intuition that may lead to applications in optical communication and solar energy harvesting. The PI is promoting science education by providing summer research opportunities to economically disadvantaged and historically underrepresented groups. A new course cluster for first-year students is under development to examine the fundamental philosophical foundations of science.