Molecular signatures of complex photodissociation reactions

地球上所有的能量都来自太阳，或者直接（如光合作用），或者间接（如化石燃料）。 光化学是研究这种光是如何被吸收的，以及之后分子发生了什么。 尽管在过去的十年中取得了重大的实验和理论进展（其中一些在我们的实验室中），但科学家仍然无法预测大多数光化学反应的结果。 在这个项目中，我们将确定几个小的基本有机分子的反应性。 这些分子不仅是我们城市周围的污染物，而且发现它们在光存在下的反应将使我们能够理解和预测更广泛的有机物种的光化学。

All energy on earth comes from the sun, either directly (e.g photosynthesis) or indirectly (e.g fossil fuels). Photochemistry is the study of how this light is absorbed and what happens to a molecule afterwards. Despite significant experimental and theoretical advances in the past decade (some in our lab), scientists still cannot predict the outcomes of most photochemical reactions. In this project we will determine the reactivity of several small, fundamental organic molecules. Not only are these molecules pollutants around our cities, but discovery of how they react in the presence of light will allow us to understand and predict the photochemistry of a much wider range of organic species.