Volume 251, 2024

Spiers Memorial Lecture: New directions in molecular scattering

Abstract

The field of molecular scattering is reviewed as it pertains to gas–gas as well as gas–surface chemical reaction dynamics. We emphasize the importance of collaboration of experiment and theory, from which new directions of research are being pursued on increasingly complex problems. We review both experimental and theoretical advances that provide the modern toolbox available to molecular-scattering studies. We distinguish between two classes of work. The first involves simple systems and uses experiment to validate theory so that from the validated theory, one may learn far more than could ever be measured in the laboratory. The second class involves problems of great complexity that would be difficult or impossible to understand without a partnership of experiment and theory. Key topics covered in this review include crossed-beams reactive scattering and scattering at extremely low energies, where quantum effects dominate. They also include scattering from surfaces, reactive scattering and kinetics at surfaces, and scattering work done at liquid surfaces. The review closes with thoughts on future promising directions of research.

Graphical abstract: Spiers Memorial Lecture: New directions in molecular scattering

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
31 Jan 2024
Accepted
05 Mar 2024
First published
01 May 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Faraday Discuss., 2024,251, 9-62

Spiers Memorial Lecture: New directions in molecular scattering

G. C. Schatz, A. M. Wodtke and X. Yang, Faraday Discuss., 2024, 251, 9 DOI: 10.1039/D4FD00015C

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