CAREER: Ultrafast Dynamics of Interfacial Water

在这个由化学部化学结构，动力学和机制计划支持的CAREER项目中，康奈尔大学的Poul Petersen教授将用新的先进非线性光学光谱方法研究界面水的超快动力学。包括大气中的反应、生物过程和燃料电池中的质子转移在内的大量现象都发生在潮湿的水合表面上。虽然人们越来越认识到水不是被动溶剂，但在这些过程中起着不可或缺的作用，但我们对界面水的结构或动力学以及这些如何受到表面化学性质的影响没有很好的了解。该研究计划旨在通过直接测量界面水的超快动力学来实现这种理解。这一目标将通过发展相干表面特异性二维红外光谱来实现。该技术能够直接测量界面水分子的OH伸缩振动的耦合和动力学，这是氢键动力学的灵敏测量。使用自组装单分子膜的支架，界面的化学性质将被调整，以获得表面性质和界面水动力学之间的结构-功能关系。这项研究计划的结果将影响涉及湿表面化学过程的各种领域。参与研究的研究生和本科生将接受高技术光学仪器和表面化学功能化的培训。鉴于研究小组中女学生占大多数，该研究方案还将有助于培训和留住女科学家。该方案的实践推广部分将针对初中和高中学生和教师。利用PI的光学专业知识，将开发一个显微镜/光学模块，以吸引和激发学生和教师使用光来检查我们周围的世界。

In this CAREER project, supported by the Chemical Structure, Dynamics and Mechanisms Program of the Chemistry Division, Prof. Poul Petersen of Cornell University will examine the ultrafast dynamics of interfacial water with new advanced nonlinear optical spectroscopic methods. A wealth of phenomena encompassing reactions in the atmosphere, biological processes, and proton transfer in fuel cells take place on/at wet hydrated surfaces. While it is increasingly recognized that water is not a passive solvent but plays an integral role in such processes, we do not have a good understanding of either the structure or the dynamics of interfacial water and how these are influenced by the chemical nature of the surface. This research program aims to attain such an understanding by directly measuring the ultrafast dynamics of interfacial water. This goal will be reached by developing coherent surface-specific two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy. This technique is able to directly measure the couplings and dynamics of the OH stretching vibration of interfacial water molecules, which are a sensitive measure of the hydrogen-bonding dynamics. Using a scaffold of self-assembled monolayers, the chemical nature of the interface will be tuned to obtain the structure-function relationship between the surface properties and the interfacial water dynamics.The result of this research program will impact a diverse set of areas involving chemical processes at wet surfaces. The graduate and undergraduate students involved in the research will be trained in both highly technical optical instrumentation and chemical functionalization of surfaces. Given the majority of female students in the research group, this research program will, in addition, contribute to train and retain female scientists. The hands-on outreach component of this program will target middle and high school students and teachers. Drawing on the optical expertise of the PI, a microscopy/optics module will be developed to engage and excite students and teachers about using light to examine the world around us.