Laser chemistry at liquid interfaces

Abstract

The scientific and technological importance of liquid interfaces in chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering disciplines is due to the unique molecular properties of interfaces; properties that are a result of the interplay between the chemical composition, structure, and, in general, the reduced dimensionality and asymmetry of forces at interfaces. We expect the effects of the special microenvironment of an interface to lead to different equilibrium and dynamic properties, such as chemical equilibria, pH, molecular motions, dynamics of chemical reactions, and physical relaxation processes. By using the intrinsic sensitivity of second harmonic generation we can selectively probe the interfacial region. Some results obtained, mostly at the air/water interface, on the orientational structure of molecules there, the energetics of absorption, the electrical potential and pH at a charged molecular interface, chemical equilibria and hydrophobic forces, picosecond dynamics of isomerization and energy transfer, diffusion of long chain molecules, and the diffusion of molecules to the surface of a liquid jet are discussed.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.