Chemical Reactions in Clusters

Book excerpt: This book covers important new developments of the last five years in the area of cluster chemistry, presenting an excellent view of the successes and shortcomings of both current state-of-the-art theory and experiment. Each chapter, contributed by a leading expert, places heavy emphasis on theory without which the detailed analysis of the spectroscopic and kinetic results would be compromised. The cluster reactions reviewed in this work include electron and proton transfer reactions, hot atom reactions, vibrational predissociation, radical reactions, and ionic reactions. Some of the theories applied throughout the text are product state distribution determinations, state-to-state dynamical information, and access to the transition stage of the reaction. The discussions serve as a benchmark of how far the field has come since the mid 1980's and will be a good update for students and researchers interested in this area of physical chemistry.