International Collaboration in Chemistry: Structure and Dynamics of Hydrogen Bonded Liquids

Arizona State University, Scottsdale AZ

Investigators

Abstract

In this International Collaboration in Chemistry (ICC) project supported by a grant from the Chemical Structure, Dynamics and Mechanisms Program and the Office of International Science and Engineering, Professor Ranko Richert and his research group at Arizona State University will explore the role of the hydrogen bonds on the dynamics and structure of hydrogen-bonded liquids using dielectric relaxation and luminescent probe techniques. The collaborating group of Professor Christiane Alba-Simionesco of the Laboratoire Léon Brillouin in Saclay and Laboratoire de Chimie-Physique in Orsay, France will utilize x-ray and neutron scattering techniques to determine the structure of the same hydrogen-bonded liquids. The Saclay/Orsay group is supported by the Agence Nationale de la Recherce (ANR). Compared to other liquids, hydrogen-bonded systems engender molecular interactions and structures over extended distances, which complicate the interpretation of dielectric, calorimetric, and scattering data. The goal of this research is to provide a unified picture of hydrogen-bonded liquids which can account for dynamical behavior over a wide range of time scales. In order to study the role of hydrogen bonds in creating supramolecular structures in such liquids, the research program also includes the investigation of structure and dynamics of hydrogen-bonded liquids under nanoscopic confinement. The experimental work of both the US and French groups will be complemented by molecular dynamics simulations. Hydrogen-bonded liquids such as water and alcohols are literally vital components of all biological systems, and essential in pharmaceuticals, food products, cryo-protection agents, microwave chemistry, and many other technologically important materials and processes. The research activity will provide a rich environment for the education and training of its student participants, as it encompasses experimental physical chemistry, computational chemistry, and materials science. The US students will also benefit from the international experience as they spend time in the laboratories of the French partner group. The research will also spawn outreach activities at the Arizona State Campus directed at K-12 audiences, including within the "Science is Fun" project established by the ASU Center for Solid State Science.