Exploring the impact of vibrational cavity coupling strength on ultrafast CN + c-C₆H₁₂ reaction dynamics

Molecular polaritons, hybrid light-matter states resulting from strong cavity coupling of optical transitions, may provide a new route to guide chemical reactions. However, demonstrations of cavity-modified reactivity in clean benchmark systems are still needed to clarify the mechanisms and scope of polariton chemistry. Here, we use transient absorption to observe the ultrafast dynamics of CN radicals interacting with a cyclohexane (c-C₆H₁₂) and chloroform (CHCl₃) solvent mixture under vibrational strong coupling of a C-H stretching mode of c-C₆H₁₂. By modulating the c-C₆H₁₂:CHCl₃ ratio, we explore how solvent complexation and hydrogen (H)-abstraction processes proceed under collective cavity coupling strengths ranging from 55 to 85 cm^-1. Reaction rates remain unchanged for all extracavity, on-resonance, and off-resonance cavity coupling conditions, regardless of coupling strength. These results suggest that insufficient vibrational cavity coupling strength may not be the determining factor for the negligible cavity effects observed previously in H-abstraction reactions of CN with CHCl₃.