RUI: Hydroperoxide photochemistry under solar wavelengths at dawn and dusk

该奖项由化学系实验物理化学项目资助，支持谢静香博士和她的学生在史密斯学院的一个项目，史密斯学院是一所女子本科文理学院。目的是量化有机氢过氧化物的光化学，大气分子是自由基的潜在来源和汇，在黎明和黄昏可用的太阳波长下。对于激发高振动态的近红外和可见波长，现有的基于激光和计算工具可以表征初始吸收过程、振动态的性质以及随后的自由基形成。新设备将扩展到在近紫外波长下量化自由基产生的能力。目标分子是目前所知甚少的大气氢过氧化物：乙基、丙基和氟化甲基氢过氧化物。在这个项目中，每次将有两到四名本科生成为同事，并且优先考虑通过史密斯大学的AEMES（在数学、工程和科学方面取得卓越成就）和早期指导计划从代表性不足的群体中招募学生。量化这些有机氢过氧化物的光化学将有助于获得与大气研究相关的大量数据，特别是预测这些分子如何促进羟基自由基的形成。这个项目的设计是为了让女大学生获得基于激光的实验经验，并了解基本的光化学、光谱学和量子力学对建模和理解大气过程的重要性。

This award, funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Division of Chemistry, supports a project by Dr. Shizuka Hsieh and her students at Smith College, an undergraduate liberal arts college for women. The aim is to quantify the photochemistry of organic hydroperoxides, atmospheric molecules that are potential sources and sinks of radicals, at solar wavelengths available at dawn and at dusk. For the near-IR and visible wavelengths that excite high vibrational states, existing laser-based and computational tools enable characterization of the initial absorption process, the nature of the vibrational states, and any subsequent radical formation. New equipment will extend capabilities to quantifying radical production at near-UV wavelengths. Target molecules are atmospheric hydroperoxides for which little is currently known: ethyl, propyl, and fluorinated methyl hydroperoxides. Two to four undergraduates at a time will be co-workers on this project, and a priority will be recruiting students from under-represented groups through the AEMES (Achieving Excellence in Math, Engineering, and Science) and Early Mentoring programs at Smith.Quantifying the photochemistry of these organic hydroperoxides will contribute to the larger body of data relevant for atmospheric studies, in particular predictions of how these molecules contribute to hydroxyl radical formation. The project is designed so undergraduate women gain experience with laser-based experiments and an appreciation of how fundamental photochemistry, spectroscopy, and quantum mechanics are essential to modeling and understanding atmospheric processes.