Confining environments alter the dynamics of a molecule when compared to solution or gas phase, and these changes in dynamics have large impacts upon the chemical behavior realized by such molecules.  As such, it is critical to connect the nature of confining environments to the impact of these environments upon molecular dynamics.  Our particular focus is to use dynamic ground state vibrational spectroscopy to track the picosecond dynamics of the guest molecule in confining environments, using two model systems: an inorganic complex embedded in a polymer matrix and an organic molecule inside the pore of a metal-organic framework (MOF).  The first model system focuses on the how physical stress to a polymer matrix affects the dynamics of carbonyl ligand site exchange of Fe(CO)3(?4-nobornadiene) molecules placed in the void spaces of the polymer.  The second model system will examine the equilibrium between the axial and equatorial positions of the chlorine in chlorocyclohexane inside of a MOF.   Both of these model systems establish vibrational spectroscopy as a technique for investigating picosecond dynamics in confining environments and the role these environments play of the dynamics of guest molecules.

Understanding how a confining environment affects the dynamics of guest molecules using vibrational spectroscopy

248th National Meeting (2014)

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