Structure and Reactivity of Shape-Shifting Molecules

The structure of chemical compounds plays a deciding role in promoting or hindering microscopic processes that shape our natural environment and promote molecular transformations important for technology and biochemistry. Many of these molecules can take different structural forms, which are commonly called isomers. In a significant number of applications and in natural processes such as solar energy, information technology and plant metabolism, structural transformations of specific isomers can act as a driving force. Therefore, it is of high relevance to unravel the structural differences between these molecules, as well as finding the reason for their respective stabilities. Moreover, from a technological point of view it is crucial to find ways to efficiently separate single isomers and study the effect of external impulses on their shape and reactivity. The proposal entitled Structure and Reactivity of Shape-Shifting Molecules aims for a detailed understanding of the way in which light radiation, heat and collisions affect the shape of chemical compounds at a microscopic level, as well as for a precise insight on their inherent structural properties. This shall be achieved by combining gas-phase techniques that are capable of separating molecular isomers with laser and collision experiments that can induce structural transformations in these preselected molecules. The first part focuses on understanding the way in which external actions can induce and stabilize conformational changes in molecules of technological relevance. The target of the second part is the investigation of the structural properties of compounds whose shape has a strong impact on the evolution of our chemical universe. The third part of this project, embedded in my return phase to Innsbruck, will be devoted to study specific bending and torsional motions of the above-mentioned species, thereby applying the gained knowledge on molecular spectroscopy during the previous years. The Methods Section describes the experimental arrangement that will be employed and anticipates a new method that extends the capability of the current machine to study the specific reactivity of distinct isomers by preselecting and controlling them in an ion trap. By unravelling in which way and under which conditions chemical species change their structural arrangement, a fundamental insight into the chemistry of complex natural environments can be achieved. In addition, these investigations can steer technological improvements towards a better selectivity, control and efficiency of devices that use shape-shifting molecules as microscopic motors for their operation.

No additional funding sources recorded.