Manoeuvring chemical reactions one degree of freedom at a time
- MP Department Seminar
- Date: Mar 1, 2024
- Time: 09:30 AM c.t. - 10:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
- Speaker: Jutta Toscano
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Switzerland
- Location: Haber Villa
- Room: Seminar Room
- Host: Department of Molecular Physics
- Contact: valtolina@fhi-berlin.mpg.de
The combined use of electric fields, magnetic fields and laser light affords us an ever-increasing level of control over the properties of atoms and molecules, enabling reactivity to be probed as a function of their various degrees of freedom1. Here, we discuss how electrostatic deflection2,3 can be employed to disentangle the reactivity of molecules in different rotational states4, or with different spatial orientation of their constituent atoms5. We demonstrate for the first time the sympathetic cooling of different conformational isomers within a Coulomb crystal6, setting the scene for fully conformationally selected ion-molecule reaction studies. Finally, we present our plans to investigate rotational-state-selected carbon astrochemical reactions with the aim of establishing whether state-selected reactivity should be included in the astrochemical models of interstellar clouds7.
- J. Toscano et al., PCCP 22, 9180 (2020)
- L. Holmegaard et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 023001 (2009)
- Y.-P. Chang et al., Int. Rev. Phys. Chem. 34, 557 (2015)
- A. Kilaj et al., Nat. Commun. 9, 2096 (2018)
- A. Kilaj et al., Nat. Commun. 12, 6047 (2021)
- L. Xu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 132, 083001 (2024)
- J. Toscano, Chimia in press (2024)