U.S.-New Zealand Cooperative Research: Kinetics of Radical- Atom Reactions

该奖项将支持莱斯大学化学系Robert F.Curl教授和新西兰克赖斯特彻奇坎特伯雷大学化学系Leon F.Phillips教授之间为期两年的合作项目。这项活动是在美国-新西兰合作科学计划下进行的。科学家们将合作研究几种小自由基(如C2H、HCO和CH2CN等瞬时活性化学物种)与氧原子的反应。这样的研究既与理解星际介质的化学方面有关，也与了解在各种燃烧过程中发生的反应有关。通过测量这些自由基-原子反应的速率常数，并在某些情况下进行光谱研究来鉴定反应产物，科学家们希望有助于更好地了解这些反应系统。这些自由基将通过合适的前体分子的准分子闪光光解而产生。氧原子(以及后来的其他原子和羟基)将在放电流动系统中生成，并允许与自由基反应。美国和新西兰的研究小组在这一领域的研究都有经验，涉及闪光光解、红外光谱和激光探头的使用。坎特伯雷大学的菲利普斯教授和他的同事主要关注这些反应的化学动力学，并开发了进行此类测量的实验技术，包括测量原子浓度的方法。柯尔教授和他在赖斯的团队一直强调高分辨率红外光谱和动力学研究。主要研究人员的互访将有助于发展莱斯原子自由基动力学研究的能力，并加强坎特伯雷的光谱分析能力。

This award will support a two-year collaborative project between Professor Robert F. Curl, Department of Chemistry, Rice University, and Professor Leon F. Phillips, Department of Chemistry, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. The activity takes place under the U.S.-New Zealand Cooperative Science Program. The scientists will cooperate in a study of the reactions of several small free radicals (transient, reactive chemical species such as C2H, HCO, and CH2CN) with oxygen atoms. Such a study is relevant both to understanding aspects of the chemistry of the interstellar medium, as well as the reactions taking place in various combustion processes. By measuring the rate constants of these radical-atom reactions, and in some cases carrying out spectroscopic studies to identify reaction products, the scientists expect to contribute to a greater understanding of these reaction systems. The radicals will be produced by excimer flash photolysis of suitable precursor molecules. The oxygen atoms (and later, other atoms and OH) will be generated in a discharge flow system, and allowed to react with the radicals. Both the U.S. and New Zealand research groups have experience in this area of research, involving flash photolysis, infrared spectroscopy, and the use of laser probes. Professor Phillips and his colleagues at Canterbury University have focused primarily on the chemical kinetics of these reactions, and have developed experimental techniques for carrying out such measurements, including methods for measuring the concentrations of atoms. Professor Curl and his group at Rice have emphasized high resolution infrared spectroscopy as well as kinetic studies. Exchange visits by the principal investigators will serve to develop the capability for atom- radical kinetic studies at Rice and to enhance the spectroscopic analysis strengths at Canterbury.