Protonation and Solvation Studied with Cluster Ion Infrared Spectroscopy

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With this award, the Chemical Structure, Dynamics and Mechanisms (CSDM-A) Program of the Division of Chemistry is funding Professor Michael Duncan of the University of Georgia to conduct experimental studies to look at the structure and bonding in complex protonated species. These species are commonly invoked in important reaction mechanisms, like the ever-ubiquitous proton transfer. In these particular experiments, Professor Duncan will use the observed infrared spectra of ions tagged with Ar atoms to infer information about the structure of the protonated species, as well as the strengths of the various bonds (from the vibrational frequencies). The graduate and undergraduate students working on this project will receive training in laser science, molecular beam methods and spectroscopy, while working on compelling chemical problems with broad scientific impact.Profesor Michael Duncan and his research group will use infrared lasers to photodissociate Ar-tagged protonated species prepared in a molecular beam. The infrared spectrum of these tagged ions is measured by scanning the infrared laser while looking for production of the untagged ion. Species to be studied are: protonated carbonyls, protonated hydrocarbons (carbocations), proton-bound dimers, simple mimics of solvated species. In a new direction, Prof. Duncan and his students will expand their work to look at photofragment imaging of some interesting protonated systems to measure the bond energies for these weakly bound systems and to explore the tag-free spectroscopy of some of the ions. Professor Duncan will continue to collaborate with a wide range of theorists and experimentalists on these important chemical problems.