Lighting up the charged brigade: laser spectroscopy of protonated and metal-containing complexes. Increasingly, the design of new pharmaceuticals uses computer modeling to account for the shapes of molecules and how they interact with their surroundings. The strongest forces between molecular components are those that involve charged chemical species known as ions. In this project, we will develop advanced laser-based techniques to study in unprecedented detail how molecules respond to the prese ....Lighting up the charged brigade: laser spectroscopy of protonated and metal-containing complexes. Increasingly, the design of new pharmaceuticals uses computer modeling to account for the shapes of molecules and how they interact with their surroundings. The strongest forces between molecular components are those that involve charged chemical species known as ions. In this project, we will develop advanced laser-based techniques to study in unprecedented detail how molecules respond to the presence of nearby charge, or to acquiring charge themselves. Understanding the nature of these attractions, and the structural changes that they induce eventually results in more accurate computer models. This has relevance to fields that include the architecture of proteins, recognition of signaling molecules in the brain, and drug development.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354775
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Australian Synchrotron Sciences Network. A synchrotron light source is a critical piece of infrastructure for a modern technological nation. In 2001, the Victorian government announced that it would contribute $157M towards the establishment of a national synchrotron facility, becoming operational in 2007. The research performed at such a facility is exceedingly diverse, and often the underpinning technology is the only point of contact for users. A vibrant and productive facility requires a tra ....Australian Synchrotron Sciences Network. A synchrotron light source is a critical piece of infrastructure for a modern technological nation. In 2001, the Victorian government announced that it would contribute $157M towards the establishment of a national synchrotron facility, becoming operational in 2007. The research performed at such a facility is exceedingly diverse, and often the underpinning technology is the only point of contact for users. A vibrant and productive facility requires a transparent interface between the scientist and the technology. This Network will set up the communication channels within the user base, and between the users and the facility development program.Read moreRead less
Understanding and controlling ion-neutral interactions. Australia faces significant environmental and technological challenges including development of clean, sustainable energy sources and technologies that do not adversely affect the terrestrial atmosphere. This project seeks to facilitate a cleaner, greener future through investigations of fundamental chemical interactions responsible for hydrogen storage in solid media, and atmospheric processes responsible for the production and destruction ....Understanding and controlling ion-neutral interactions. Australia faces significant environmental and technological challenges including development of clean, sustainable energy sources and technologies that do not adversely affect the terrestrial atmosphere. This project seeks to facilitate a cleaner, greener future through investigations of fundamental chemical interactions responsible for hydrogen storage in solid media, and atmospheric processes responsible for the production and destruction of ozone. In both cases, the key interactions between ions and neutral molecules will be elucidated through high-resolution laser studies. Ensuing experimental data will play a crucial role in controlling and predicting ion-neutral interactions in technological and environmental contexts.Read moreRead less
Towards a Microscopic Understanding of Anion Solvation. Atomic and molecular anions are ubiquitous components of oceans, rivers, lakes, and the atmosphere, and serve as key participants in natural and industrial chemical processes. In most situations ions are surrounded by a structured sheath of neutral solvent molecules which profoundly affects their physical and chemical properties. Currently, interactions between anions and solvent molecules are poorly understood. In this project we will use ....Towards a Microscopic Understanding of Anion Solvation. Atomic and molecular anions are ubiquitous components of oceans, rivers, lakes, and the atmosphere, and serve as key participants in natural and industrial chemical processes. In most situations ions are surrounded by a structured sheath of neutral solvent molecules which profoundly affects their physical and chemical properties. Currently, interactions between anions and solvent molecules are poorly understood. In this project we will use lasers to probe clusters consisting of just a few molecules attached to an anion, generating information that will enhance our ability to predict and control chemical processes involved in drug design, salination, atmospheric chemistry, and chemical waste remediation.Read moreRead less
Approaching anion solvation from the bottom up: infrared studies of negatively charged complexes and clusters. We will employ novel spectroscopic strategies to probe the structures of mass-selected anion complexes and clusters in the gas-phase with the purpose of exploring non-covalent forces responsible for anion solvation. The work is motivated by a recognition that anions serve as key participants in a host of natural and industrial chemical processes, and that their physical and chemical pro ....Approaching anion solvation from the bottom up: infrared studies of negatively charged complexes and clusters. We will employ novel spectroscopic strategies to probe the structures of mass-selected anion complexes and clusters in the gas-phase with the purpose of exploring non-covalent forces responsible for anion solvation. The work is motivated by a recognition that anions serve as key participants in a host of natural and industrial chemical processes, and that their physical and chemical properties depend critically upon interactions with solvent molecules. The experimental results should serve as a critical test for computational approaches to describing anion-neutral interactions, and provide new insights into the behaviour of electrolytes, acid-base chemistry, and fundamental bimolecular reactions.Read moreRead less