The study of radiation chemistry requires access to reproducible, intense, time-resolved sources of ionizing radiation. At the Notre Dame Radiation Laboratory this research is conducted using three electron accelerators operating in the 2 to 8 million electron volt (MeV) range.
• 8 MeV Electron Linear Accelerator
• 3 MeV van de Graaff Electron Accelerator
• 2 MeV van de Graaff Electron Accelerator
Chemical reactions initiated by electron pulses (2ns or longer) from these accelerators are detected and their progress monitored by a number of time-resolved spectroscopic techniques:
• transient optical absorption spectroscopy
• resonance Raman spectroscopy
• electron spin resonance spectroscopy
• conductimetric detection
Photochemistry is conducted with a number of laser flash photolysis assemblies:
• Femtosecond Laser Spectroscopy
• Picosecond Laser Flash Photolysis
• Nanosecond Laser Systems
The nature and fate of excited states, intermediates and products generated by photolysis are probed using a number of detection methods:
• kinetic optical spectroscopy
• time-resolved fluorescence detection
• diffuse reflectance spectroscopy
• microwave absorption/emission spectroscopy
• (photo-)electrochemical techniques
Additional resources support the research efforts noted above by providing tools for product analysis, structure determination and other necessary functions.
• gamma irradiation facilities
• high performance computer facilities
• mass spectrometry
• high-pressure liquid chromatography
• ion chromatography
• scanning tunneling microscopy
• transmission electron microscopy
Capabilities not present in the Radiation Laboratory, such as NMR or scanning electron microscopy, are available through other departments at Notre Dame.
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