ERIC Number: EJ1279730
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Dec
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Introduction to Femtochemistry: Excited-State Proton Transfer from Pyranine to Water Studied by Femtosecond Transient Absorption
Changenet, Pascale; Gustavsson, Thomas; Lampre, Isabelle
Journal of Chemical Education, v97 n12 p4482-4489 Dec 2020
In order to introduce students to the fascinating field of femtochemistry, we propose here a practical laboratory training course conceived for second-year master's students in chemistry. We describe the use of a broadband femtosecond transient absorption (pump-probe) experiment for monitoring a fast light-triggered chemical reaction in solution. The experiments are performed on the pyranine photoacid, which upon photoexcitation at 390 nm undergoes a proton transfer to the solvent in about 90 ps. While this practical course involves advanced equipment and techniques, the measured transient absorption data allow easy analysis and interpretation. The transient absorption spectra at a few selected delay times can be analyzed qualitatively in terms of bleach, induced absorption, and stimulated emission. Likewise, the transient absorption signals at a few chosen wavelengths can be quantitatively analyzed and explained with simple kinetic models to determine the time constant of the proton-transfer reaction. This training aims at giving the students the opportunity to face some of the current challenges in contemporary chemistry by learning the basics of ultrafast spectroscopy.
Descriptors: Chemistry, Science Instruction, Spectroscopy, Scientific Concepts, Concept Formation, Science Laboratories, College Science, Masters Programs, Graduate Students, Science Experiments, Laboratory Experiments, Light, Kinetics
Division of Chemical Education, Inc. and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

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