ABSTRACT
The study of gas-phase ion-molecule reactions has been influential in the investigation of transition metal mediated bond activation and catalysis. We have furthered this field by developing a new technique capable of measuring the microcanonical kinetics for reactions between transition metal cations and neutral organic molecules. This novel method has been designated as single photon initiated dissociative rearrangement reaction (SPIDRR) technique and provides a nearly direct measurement of microcanonical reaction rate constants. For this reason, SPIDRR offers unique insight into reaction mechanisms and dynamics by assessing the energy dependence of the microcanonical rate constant, as well as measuring product branching fractions and kinetic isotope effects. The following paper provides a detailed overview of SPIDRR and its advantages in the field of gas-phase catalysis research.
