Van Doren Research

Jane M. Van Doren
Haberlin 218C

My research group studies fundamental and applied chemical questions using the tools of analytical and physical chemistry. Fundamental questions focus on determining how and why chemical reactions take place. Applied questions focus on environmental and health issues.

Understanding Electron-Molecule & Ion-Molecule Reactions

The products and efficiency of reactions involving molecules in solution reflect both the intrinsic reactivity of the molecules themselves as well as the effect of solvation on the molecules, reaction intermediates and products. In this work, we probe intrinsic reactivity by studying reactions in the gas phase. Our focus is reactions between charged species and neutral molecules.

Electron-molecule and ion-molecule reactions play important and expanding roles in society today. For example, very small quantities of chemicals in the air or your breath can be easily detected with these types of reactions. As a result, some devises exist and more are being developed that exploit this chemistry to detect disease in humans, pollution in the air and chemical warfare reagents in the battlefield. Another important area of research focuses on identifying reactions that efficiently eliminate electrons from an environment. These kinds of reactions can reduce the length of radio blackout for the shuttle, satellite communication blackouts caused by solar flares, and the length of aircraft contrails.

Our approach for learning more about electron-molecule reactions involves investigating how chemical structure, thermochemistry and temperature influence the products formed and the branching ratios (product yields) observed. This information is determined from studying a series of reactions involving chemically related molecules and from investigations of how these reactions change when the temperature is raised. Our data provide insights into the details of the reaction mechanisms and energetics involved.

Building on our past work, we will target reactions that can form a variety of products and those which form weakly bound anions. To achieve these goals, we will use a temperature variable Flowing Afterglow Langmuir Probe apparatus (FALP) with mass spectrometric detection for ionic products. Our versatile analytical instrument is one of only six in the world. For pictures of the instrument click here. We will also utilize theoretical methods to learn more about these chemical systems. Each student will gain experience with both experimental and theoretical research. The projects for this year are listed below:

Investigations of the influence of temperature, pressure and kinetic energy on the yields of electron induced elimination reactions.

Investigation of the electron attachment to a series of inorganic sulfur compounds: probing the influence of structure, temperature and pressure on the products and yield of these reactions.

Investigations of the temperature dependence of electron attachment & detachment in weakly bound systems.

For more information come visit me in my office (Hab. 218C) or lab (Hab. 17).