Toggle light / dark theme

New theory may solve quantum ‘jigsaw puzzle’ for controlling chemical reactions

In the past, chemists have used temperature, pressure, light, and other chemical ways to speed up or slow down chemical reactions. Now, researchers at the University of Rochester have developed a theory that explains a different way to control chemical reactions—one that doesn’t rely on heat or light but instead on the quantum environment surrounding the molecules.

In a paper published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the researchers—including Frank Huo, the Dean and Laura Marvin Endowed Professor in Physical Chemistry in Rochester’s Department of Chemistry and graduate students Sebastian Montillo and Wenxiang Ying—argue that traditional theories used to predict how fast occur may not fully capture what happens under certain quantum light-matter interaction conditions.

To address this, they developed a new theory showing how —specifically, an effect called vibrational strong coupling (VSC)—can influence chemical reactions.

Leave a Comment

Lifeboat Foundation respects your privacy! Your email address will not be published.

/* */