Radiation chemistry at Notre Dame 1943–1994

Abstract

Radiation chemical research originated at Notre Dame in the early 1940's when the 2 MeV Van de Graaff of the Notre Dame Physics Department was used to resolve radiation chemical problems relating to interests of the Manhattan Project. Early studies involved examination of the overall course of radiation effects by conventional chemical methods. These studies mainly employed spectrophotometric gas analysis and scavenger techniques to examine the course of radiolysis. In the period since the early 1960's pulse radiolysis methods incorporating time resolved absorption spectrophotometric, electron spin resonance and resonance Raman detection have been added to these methodologies. Currently these time resolved studies are complemented by chromatographic measurements which provide very detailed information on the overall course of radiation chemical reactions. The addition of laser flash photolysis methods in the mid 1970's also has augmented the mechanistic information available from the Laboratory's radiation chemical studies. The state-of-the-art of these various approaches, as currently practiced in the Notre Dame Radiation Laboratory, is described.