The formation of intermediate molecules (or not), and the processes involved in the reactions often raise questions for synthetic chemists. Our group can, in an original way, shed light on these questions.
The coupling between UV photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum chemistry represents a tandem that proves to be very powerful, providing complete answers to the systems under study. Compared to the explanations of the observed phenomena, we go further, by rationalizing new syntheses. Particular emphasis is placed on the unusual reactive compounds of the main group elements. Our lab possesses three UV-Photo Electron Spectrometers to realize these topics, and particular couplings are used to generate such elusive species (Thermolysis for example). The key to success in this work is the capability to characterize rapidly these species before they polymerize…. All our apparatus are specially equipped with system which avoid rearrangement and allow an iso-kinetic transport of the molecules. Recently, we have acquired a cryostat, allowing us to freeze species at 4K and use infrared spectroscopy to study them. Under these conditions, Photoelectron Spectroscopy and IR represent a powerful coupling for the study of transient species. Moreover, to interpret the spectra obtained and to evaluate the behaviour of the studied molecules, the results are systematicaly analyzed with modern quantochemistry methods.
