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Updated: Sep 26, 2025

Computation of Atmospheric Concentrations of Molecular Clusters from ab initio Thermochemistry
Published on: April 8, 2020
Reaction dynamics within a cluster environment
Marc Briant1, Jean-Michel Mestdagh1, Marc-André Gaveau1
1Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, LIDYL, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
Abstract:
This perspective article reviews experimental and theoretical works where rare gas clusters and helium nanodroplets are used as a nanoreactor to investigate chemical dynamics in a solvent environment. A historical perspective is presented first followed by specific considerations on the mobility of reactants within these reaction media. The dynamical response of pure clusters and nanodroplets to photoexcitation is shortly reviewed before examining the role of the cluster (or nanodroplet) degrees of freedom in the photodynamics of the guest atoms and molecules.
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Atoms, molecules, or ions must collide before they can react with each other. Atoms must be close together to form chemical bonds. This premise is the basis for a theory that explains many observations regarding chemical kinetics, including factors affecting reaction rates.
The collision theory is based on the postulates that (i) the reaction rate is proportional to the rate of reactant collisions, (ii) the reacting species collide in an orientation allowing contact between...

