© Ultrafast Systems LLC/Vernier Software & Technology
Table of Contents
1
General Information ............................................................................................................................... 4
1.1
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 4
1.2
Specifications .................................................................................................................................. 4
1.2.1
Spectrometer Specifications .................................................................................................... 4
1.2.2
Equipment Specifications ......................................................................................................... 6
1.2.3
Detector Specifications ............................................................................................................ 7
2
Safety Information .................................................................................................................................. 8
3
Layout and Basic Principles of Operation ......................................................................................... 10
4
Hardware Description .......................................................................................................................... 12
4.1
Turning the Spectrometer On and Off ........................................................................................... 12
4.2
Optical Filters ................................................................................................................................. 12
4.3
Software Description ..................................................................................................................... 13
4.3.1
Graph Controls .......................................................................................................................
14
5
The Basic Principles of Chemical Kinetics ....................................................................................... 15
5.1
Stoichiometry ................................................................................................................................. 15
5.2
Reaction Rate ................................................................................................................................ 15
5.3
The Rate Expression and the Rate Constant ................................................................................ 16
5.4
Order of Reaction .......................................................................................................................... 17
5.5
The Experimental Approach .......................................................................................................... 18
5.6
The Relationships Between Rate Constant, Half Life, and Life Time ........................................... 18
5.7
Pseudo Order ................................................................................................................................ 20
6
Data Treatment ..................................................................................................................................... 21
6.1
Data Acquisition............................................................................................................................. 21
6.2
Kinetic Analysis ............................................................................................................................. 23
6.3
The Basics of Photochemistry ....................................................................................................... 25
7
Flash Photolysis Experiments ............................................................................................................ 26
7.1
Base Catalysis of the cis-trans Isomerization of Congo Red ........................................................ 26
7.2
Isomerization of Mercury Dithizonate ............................................................................................ 31
7.3
Determination of the Activation Energy of the Thermal Back Reaction of One Spiropyran in
Toluene
.......................................................................................................................................... 34
8
Appendix ............................................................................................................................................... 38
8.1
Spectra of Flash Lamp and White Light LED ................................................................................ 38
8.2
Spectra of Optical Filters ............................................................................................................... 40
