Bilkent University National Nanotechnology Research Center’s (UNAM) Asst. Prof. Wonmi Ahn recently published her groundbreaking research entitled “Modification of Ground-State Chemical Reactivity via Light–Matter Coherence in Infrared Cavities” in Science Magazine, one of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals.
Dr. Wonmi Ahn investigated methods of controlling chemical reactions by exploring the potential of hybrid light-matter states, known as polaritons, formed by strong coupling between molecular transitions and photonic modes in microcavities. The research showed the cavity-modified rate of alcoholysis of phenyl isocyanate with cyclohexanol. Both experiment and theory revealed an evidence of up to 80% suppression in reaction rates by systematically tuning cavity modes to the specific molecular vibrations of reactant, product, and solvent. Dr. Ahn’s research not only resolves previous debates within the polaritonic chemistry domain but also marks a significant stride forward in the realm of reaction control through the utilization of electromagnetic fields.
You can access Asst. Prof. Wonmi Ahn’s research through the following link:
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ade7147
