Issue 26, 2019

Photon catalysis of deuterium iodide photodissociation

Abstract

A catalyst enhances a reaction pathway without itself being consumed or changed. Recently, there has been growing interest in the concept of “photon catalysis” in which nonresonant photons, which are neither absorbed nor scattered, promote reactions. The driving force behind this effect is the interaction between the strong electric field associated with a pulsed, focused laser and the polarizability of the reacting system. In this study, the effect of near-infrared, nonresonant radiation on the photodissociation of deuterium iodide is demonstrated. We use nanosecond pulses rather than time-resolved spectroscopy to investigate the average effect of the electric field on the branching ratio for forming D + I(2P3/2) and D + I(2P1/2). Changes in the measured D-atom speeds between field-free and strong-field conditions confirm substantial differences in dissociation dynamics. Both the magnitude and direction of change in the branching ratios are dependent upon the photodissociation wavelength. Experiments and theoretical calculations confirm that the mechanism for photon catalysis under these conditions is dynamic Stark shifting of potential energy surfaces rather than electric-field-induced alignment of reagent molecules.

Graphical abstract: Photon catalysis of deuterium iodide photodissociation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
18 محرم 1440
Accepted
18 ربيع الأول 1440
First published
18 ربيع الأول 1440

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2019,21, 14195-14204

Author version available

Photon catalysis of deuterium iodide photodissociation

K. I. Hilsabeck, J. L. Meiser, M. Sneha, N. Balakrishnan and R. N. Zare, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2019, 21, 14195 DOI: 10.1039/C8CP06107F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements