Chemical physicists at JILA probe the structure and dynamics of matter; investigate the quantum mechanical behavior of chemical reactions; study the process of solvation; and investigate chemical surfaces and polymers. They also study plasma chemistry and the physics of selected atoms and molecules. They use advanced laser-based techniques to better understand hydrogen bonding, electron transfer, the formation and dissolution of chemical bonds, chemical reactions, and the fundamental interactions of light with matter. Theorists create simulations of the molecular processes probed in experiments to explain results and guide future investigations.

JILA research is informing the development of more efficient solar cells and semiconductor devices and extending our fundamental understanding of femtosecond lasers, ultrahigh-resolution microscopy, atomic-force microscopy, and surface-based chemical reactions. The goals of chemical physics research at JILA include elucidating the structure & reactivity of gas phase ions, discovering new approaches to explaining chemical physics, understanding the quantum mechanics of chemistry, and exploring plasma chemistry & physics. JILA's chemical physicists are looking for answers to such questions as:

• What is the step-by-step process that occurs when an isolated molecule becomes solvated?
• Can we use the properties of negative ions to determine molecular structures, understand the dynamics of chemical reactions, and explain photodissociation?
• How does a stream of soft X-rays knock enough electrons out of the atoms in a xenon cluster to cause the cluster to explode?
• Can we experimentally test quantum mechanical predictions of the vibrations and rotations of simple molecules?
• Can we understand chemical reactions from first principles?
• Can we use ultrafast X-rays to watch changes in specific atomic bonds as a chemical reaction unfolds?