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MO: Fachverband Molekülphysik
MO 5: Experimental Techniques
MO 5.8: Talk
Monday, March 12, 2012, 18:15–18:30, V38.02
Broadband Microwave Spectroscopy of Large Molecules — •David Schmitz, Virgil Alvin Shubert, Thomas Betz, and Melanie Schnell — Max-Planck Advanced Study Group at the Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Hamburg, and Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg
Isomerization reactions are a fundamental class of chemical transformations and their understanding is essential for the detailed description of chemical reactions in general. Before the dynamics of isomerization reactions between the different structural isomers, i.e., conformers, can be understood, they themselves have to be identified and characterized. For this, we have constructed a novel broadband rotational spectrometer, covering the 2-8 GHz range within a single acquisition. The obtained spectra, aided by theory, allow us to investigate the conformational structures and preferences of large molecules, e.g. crown ethers and their complexes with water or metals. Furthermore, we can gain insight about isomerization dynamics by pumping the molecules above isomerization barriers using a tunable infrared laser and then to probe using a chirped microwave pulse1. Here, we will present this technique and report initial results on the rotational spectrum of 15-crown-5 ether.
1Dian et al., Science, 320, (2008), pp. 924-928