Ultraviolet Absorption of the Lowest-Lying Electronic State in High-Temperature and Supercritical Water

该奖项由化学系实验物理化学项目资助，伊利诺斯州莱尔本尼迪克特大学的马林教授将对水的最低电子吸收带进行深紫外吸收光谱研究，该吸收带达到并超过临界温度。在临界温度以上，水分子局部聚集被认为是发生的。在这里，光谱将作为密度的函数获得，提供有关水电子状态如何与局部溶剂环境相关的信息。理论上，已知簇大小对电子态能量有很大影响，因此这些实验是对先前工作的补充。实验将由本科生与威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校同步辐射中心的工作人员和圣母大学辐射实验室的合作者一起进行。这个项目的影响超出了基础科学。更好地了解超临界条件下的水有助于开发新的、高效的超临界水冷核反应堆或通过超临界水氧化设施减少有毒废物。在一流的联邦研究机构参与调查研究和使用现代仪器和技术的机会可能会激励本科生追求物理科学方面的高级学位和职业。

In this award, funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Division of Chemistry, Professor Marin of Benedictine University, Lisle, IL will perform deep-ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy on the lowest-lying electronic absorption band of water up to and beyond the critical temperature. Above the critical temperature local clustering of water molecules is thought to occur. Here, spectra will be obtained as a function of density, providing information on how the water electronic states are related to the local solvent environment. The cluster size is theoretically known to have a large effect on the electronic state energy, so these experiments complement previous work. Experiments are to be carried out with undergraduate students in conjunction with staff at the Synchrotron Radiation Center associated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and collaborators at the University of Notre Dame Radiation Laboratory. The impacts of this project reach beyond fundamental science. A better understanding of water under supercritical conditions could aid in the development of new, highly-efficient supercritical water-cooled nuclear reactors or in toxic waste mitigation via supercritical water oxidation facilities. Opportunities to get involved in investigative research and use of contemporary instrumentation and techniques at a premier federal research facility may inspire undergraduate students to pursue advanced degrees and careers in the physical sciences.