A team of researchers from China University of Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Southern University of Science and Technology have discovered a thought-provoking pattern in the cross-section observed in the F + HD → HF + D reaction.
In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their dual approach to learning more about the role of relative spin – orbit interactions in chemical reactions. T.
Peter Rakitis, along with the University of Crete and IESL-FORTH, has published a perspective in the same magazine issue outlining the difficulty of studying chemical reactions at the quantum level and the work done by the team in China.
Studying chemical reactions, as they occur at the quantum level, is a difficult task – not only are many things happening simultaneously, but most interesting reactions occur in a very short period of time.
In this new effort, researchers tried to overcome such problems and learn more about what happens during only one type of response: the F + HD → HF + D response. To that end, he took a two-pronged approach to capture what happens as scattered reactants due to quantum effects.
The first part of their experiment uses high-wave velocity-map-imaging, cross-beam techniques to learn more about partial wave changes. The second part involved creating simulations based on theories about what should happen in such reactions.
As the researchers noted, during a collision state, the molecular-cross-beam device can detect an angle-resolved product of scattering that has rotational-state resolution.
Using the data from the device and from simulations together (which included electronic angular momentum effects) allowed the team to observe electronic angular momentum effects during the chemical reaction.
This allowed the researchers to observe an interesting horseshoe-shaped pattern in the cross-section of the reaction, as it was occurring in the direction of scattering.
The theoretical part of their experiment suggested that the unique pattern design is caused by quantum interference between positive and negative spin-orbit divides and semi-wave resonances. The researchers suggest that their results provide an example of spin – orbital interactions affecting the dynamics of the reaction.
Over the past decade, H-atom Rydberg has made significant impact in the study of state-to-state reaction dynamics, tagging the time-of-flight (HRTOF) technique, and especially in the study of transition state dynamics of the initial chemical. Reactions and quantum state resolved the dynamics of molecular photodisisation of important molecules.
In this perspective, we will mainly discuss the state-to-state dynamics of three important elementary reactions: H + H2, O (1D) + H2 and F + H2 which use the HRTOF method in recent years Studies have been carried out in our laboratory.
In addition, we will also briefly mention the experimental results of other reactive systems. Finally, we will also present a brief research approach in the study of molecular reaction dynamics using this powerful experimental method.