| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/S14887/01 |
| Title: |
Freezing Chemical Reactions: Trapping Reaction Intermediates in Helium Nanodroplets |
| Principal Investigator: |
Ellis, Professor A |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Chemistry |
| Organisation: |
University of Leicester |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
30 July 2003 |
Ends: |
29 September 2006 |
Value (£): |
437,245
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Gas & Solution Phase Reactions |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| Chemicals |
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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Van der Waals minima in the entrance channel region of a reaction potential energy surface (PES) are important in the outcome of collisions between reactive species. Pre-reaction complexes, in which the reagents are trapped in one of these shallow minima, have therefore become a hot topic for study by chemical dynamicists. Using supersonic expansions, it has proved possible to form complexes from two closed-shell species and from one closed-shell species plus a radical, and spectroscopy has revealed important new information on the respective reaction PES. Radical + radical reactions, which play an important role in atmospheric chemistry and combustion, could potentially be subjected to similar study. However, radicalradical complexes cannot survive in supersonic jets because of the exceedingly small activation barriers to reaction. We propose a novel solution to this impasse, the formation of pre-reaction complexes in liquid helium nanodroplets (LHNDs). The superfluidity of LHNDs, which allows dopant molecules to undergo facile rotation and translation, coupled with the ultra-low temperature (0.4 K), will make it possible to trap colliding species in exceedingly shallow potential minima. We will exploit these unique properties to: (i) carry out the first systematic investigation of molecular free radicals, such as OH, CH and CN, in LHNDs; (ii) perform the first ever experimental study of a radical dimer formed from transient free radicals. This unique work will lay the foundations for an entirely new field of study, the spectroscopy and reaction dynamics of radical-radical complexes.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.le.ac.uk |