Directly probing changes in the local molecular envrionment during solution phase chemical dynamics

In this award, funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Division of Chemistry, Professor David Blank of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, his post-doctoral fellows, graduate, and undergraduate students will be supported to study dynamic solvent participation in chemical reactions. The proposed work will expand prior investigations of chemical dynamics to hydrogen bonding and nonpolar solvent environments to include new proton transfer and intermolecular electron transfer systems. Implementation of a technique known as Resonant Pump Third-Order Raman Probe Spectroscopy (RaPTORS) will allow direct probing of the solvent dynamics in a series of solvation and charge transfer studies. The solvent response to hydrogen bonding will be explored with the use of alkanols, formamides, and water as the solvent with coumarin dyes as solutes. Other proposed solvents to study include chloroform, benzene, and cylcohexanes with a variety of solutes. Proposed collaboration with computational chemists in the research group of Prof. Todd Martinez at University of Illinois will add valuable theoretical insight to this work.

A significant proportion of chemistry, from industrial reactions the chemistry of biology, takes place in the solution phase. This project will contribute to the development of models for chemistry in solution that are more accurate and tractable. Professor Blank and the researchers involved in the program will benefit from valuable collaborations with Bethel College and the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, to further strengthen and enrich the research experience.