Bryan Changala
When the Ye group measured the total quantum state of buckyballs, we learned that this large molecule can play by full quantum rules.Specifically, this measurementresolved the rotational states of the buckyball, making it the largest and most complex molecule to be understood at this level.
The reaction, at first glance, seems simple. Combustion engines, such as those in your car, form carbon monoxide (CO). Sunlight converts atmospheric water into a highly reactive hydroxyl radical (OH). And when CO and OH meet, one byproduct is carbon dioxide (CO2) – a main contributor to air pollution and climate change.
Using frequency comb spectroscopy, the Ye group has directly observed transient intermediate steps in a chemical reaction that plays a key role in combustion, atmospheric chemistry, and chemistry in the interstellar medium. The group was able to make this first-ever measurement because frequency combs generate a wide range of laser wavelengths in ultrafast pulses. These pulses made it possible for the researchers to “see” every step in the chemical reaction of OH + CO → HOCO → CO2 + H.
The Ye group just solved a major problem for usingmolecular fingerprintingtechniquesto identify large, complex molecules: The researchers used aninfrared (IR) frequency comb laser to identify four different large or complicated molecules. The IR laser-light absorption technique worked well for the first time with these larger molecules because the group combined it with buffer gas cooling, which precooled their samples to just a few degrees above absolute zero.