| Photolysis of precursor molecules trapped in solid molecular hydrogen can be a means to photolytically generate reactive chemical species and study the dynamics and kinetics of reactions involving these species within the matrix. Br-HBr and Br-DBr entrance channel complexes can be synthesized in solid parahydrogen (pH2) at liquid helium temperatures by photolysis of Br2/HBr doped pH2 crystals. Many phenomena, including chemical reaction dynamics and nonadiabatic processes, are thought to be related to these complexes and to the bound and quasi-bound states they support.;In addition to the isolation and IR characterization of reactive species, photochemical procedures can be used as a means to direct the outcome of chemical reactions. IR+UV co-irradiation photolysis experiments conducted on Cl 2 doped pH2 crystals at 1.8 K illustrate how combined IR+UV irradiation can lead to H2 vibrational enhancement of simple chemical reactions in a condensed phase environment. Photolysis studies on CF 2I2 doped pH2 samples allow for the generation of CF2I, CF2, and I-atom photofragments. These studies give insight into in situ photodissociation dynamics of molecules in quantum solids.;Aside from serving as a medium to study in situ photolysis, solid pH2 itself is a unique molecular solid. While much is known about solid pH2, the absorption coefficients have never been reported. The absorption coefficients of solid pH2 are experimentally determined and reported from 1-5 microns. |
