Nonlinear Optical and Simulation Studies of Perturbed Liquids

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

In this award, funded by the Chemical Structure, Dynamics and Mechanisms (CSDM-A) Program of the Division of Chemistry, Professor John Fourkas of the University of Maryland College Park and his graduate student researchers are doing experimental and computational studies to probe the dynamics of molecular liquids in nano-confinement and under negative pressure. Despite the importance of liquids as solvents in important chemical processes, there is a great deal that is still unknown about liquid behavior in confined and other unusual environments being studied in the present work. Graduate students working on this project receive excellent training in experimental physical chemistry. This project benefits from the collaboration with Dr. Benoit Coasne, a computational chemist at CNRS (France) and MIT. Prof. Fourkas and his research group are conducting a series of experimental and modeling studies of the behavior of molecular liquids in nano-confined environments and under tension. The experiments to be carried out include: (1) optical Kerr effect (OKE) spectroscopy and (2) vibrational sum-frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy. The Fourkas group researchers will use these methods to probe the local liquid density via the reduced spectral density. Liquids will be confined in nanoporous silica and stretched liquids will be prepared in Berthelot tubes. Liquids to be studied include benzene, pyridine, acetonitrile and 2-butene. Liquids in environments like those studied here are ubiquitous, but remain poorly understood, and work like that supported in this study will help to shed light on the molecular behavior that governs the liquid behavior. Students working on this project receive excellent training in chemical physics that prepares them to become globally-engaged members of the technical workforce.