Abstract:

While liquid solution reactions are much more important in chemistry, gas phase reactions are much better understood. Given the central importance of solution reactions to inorganic, organic, industrial and biochemistry, it is rather surprising that, as yet, there is not a single such reaction whose molecular dynamics are understood in detail. Theoretical and experimental evidence already makes clear that much of the important molecular dynamic action in solution reactions occurs on the picosecond and subpicosecond time scales. The dihalogen photodissociation and recombination reactions, X ₂ + hv→X + X→X ₂, involving the simplest possible molecular reactants and products, diatomics, and in rare gas solution involving only two elements, seem excellent candidates for study.

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