When vibrations interact: Ultrafast energy relaxation of vibrational pairs in polyatomic liquids

John C. Deàk, Lawrence K. Iwaki, Dana D. Dlott

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The ultrafast IR-Raman technique is used to compare picosecond timescale vibrational energy relaxation (VR) of a polyatomic liquid, acetonitrile (CH3CN), following excitation of either a C-H stretching fundamental (~3000 cm-1) or a pair of vibrations at about the same energy, the CN stretch and C-C stretch. When the vibrational pair is excited via combination band pumping, the CN stretch lifetime decreases by more than an order of magnitude, and an oscillation is observed in the C-C stretch population. These studies of a pair of interacting vibrations on the same molecule provide insight into the complex behavior expected from vibrationally excited nascent products of chemical reactions of condensed-phase polyatomic molecules.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)405-411
Number of pages7
JournalChemical Physics Letters
Volume293
Issue number5-6
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 4 1998

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physics and Astronomy(all)
  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry

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