CAREER: Manipulating Molecules and Motivating Students; Explorations of Energy Conversion through Adaptive Control and in New Educational Platforms

在这个奖项中，化学学部的实验物理化学项目支持科罗拉多大学Niels Damrauer教授小组的基础化学科学研究工作的发展，以了解电荷和能量在吸收光后如何在复杂的凝聚相分子中流动。飞秒脉冲成形方法将要求询问和控制光化学途径在新的配合物。选择具有光诱导电子转移反应活性的体系并合成新的金属配合物，其中内部运动有望调节光诱导电子转移反应的速率。如果自适应形状的激光场能够操纵这些运动，光化学控制有望实现。另外的系统被开发，表现出激发态弛豫途径与电子转移竞争。该计划的这一方面旨在开发光谱方法，用于研究在生产性和非生产性通道之间的反应分支点的动态现象。最后，努力发展无机发色团的脉冲整形二维电子能谱，并将观察结果与控制的机会和机制联系起来。在该方案的教育推广部分，正在编制有关可持续能源生产的课程，以便向科罗拉多州的中学生传播，并协助5-8年级教师的专业发展。所考虑的主题的社会和环境紧迫性应该激励年轻人从事基础科学探索，并在高中寻求进一步的科学训练。

In this award the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Division of Chemistry supports the development of a fundamental chemical sciences research effort in the group of Professor Niels Damrauer at the University of Colorado to understand how charge and energy flow in complex condensed-phase molecules following absorption of light. Femtosecond pulse-shaping methodologies will be called upon to interrogate and control photochemical pathways in novel coordination complexes. Systems exhibiting photoinduced electron transfer reactivity are selected and new metal complexes are synthesized wherein internal motions are expected to modulate the rate of a photoinduced electron transfer reaction. Photochemical control is expected if adaptively shaped laser fields can manipulate these motions. Additional systems are developed that exhibit excited-state relaxation pathways competing with electron transfer. This aspect of the program aims to develop spectroscopic methods for studying dynamical phenomena at reactive branching points between productive and non-productive channels. Finally, efforts are made to develop pulse-shaping two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy of inorganic chromophores and to link the observations to both opportunities and mechanisms for control. In the educational outreach component of this program, curricula relating to sustainable energy production are being developed for dissemination to middle school students in Colorado and to assist in professional development for teachers of grades 5-8. The societal and environmental urgency of the topics considered should motivate young minds to engage in fundamental scientific exploration and to seek further scientific training in high school.