Welcome to the webpage of the research group for reaction kinetics at the department of chemistry, K.U.Leuven. We are in the process of upgrading our website, which should be online soon. In the mean time, this page gives a short overview of the research group.
The group reaction kinetics is organizing the 21st International Conference on Gas Kinetics in July 2010. For more information, please visit the GK2010 symposium website on www.gk2010.be website.
Prof. Dr. Shaun Carl
Our research group studies many aspects of chemical kinetics, spanning a wide array of topics and reactions, and using both experimental and theoretical methodologies.
Our research group is involved in experimental studies of reaction kinetics of relevance in atmospheric chemistry, combustion chemistry and interstellar chemistry. Rate coefficients and branching fractions of crucial reactions are studied over wide temperature ranges using several detection methods such as LIF, chemiluminescence based detection of O(1D) and O(3P), mass spectrometry, absorption methods, etc. Recent projects focused on precise kinetic studies of O(1D) reactions, the O(1D) yield of ozone photolysis, the reactivity of the C2H radical and OH reaction with acetic acid.
Our research group in involved in the theoretical characterization of reaction kinetics of relevance in atmospheric chemistry, combustion chemistry, interstellar chemistry, and catalysis. This characterization includes the rate coefficient and product distributions of elementary reactions, including chemically activated reaction in gasphase and solution. Also, we derive extensive degradation mechanisms, e.g. for the oxidation of large biogenic organic compounds in the atmosphere. Finally, we develop Structure-Activity Relationships (SAR) for use in kinetic modeling. The methodologies used include multi-conformer Transition State Theory (MC-TST), RRKM theory, Master Equation analysis, and kinetic modeling. In many cases these studies involve the quantum chemical characterizations of the potential energy surfaces of the reaction studied.