Controlling the quantum numbers in chemical reactions

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Abstract
This review covers research into the quantum state specific preparation and characterization of highly vibrationally excited molecules, a field of research that has moved into a very exciting period where many new laser techniques can be used to prepare molecules with extremely large quantities of vibrational energy and with exquisite control over the kind of vibrational motion excited. This field gives a foreshadowing of the future, where control of reactant quantum numbers may become as important to the chemist as control of macroscopic reaction conditions such as temperature and pressure. Laser directed chemistry has already been realized in ‘demonstration of principle’ experiments. Many of the unresolved questions relevant to the expanded usefulness laser-directed chemistry will be covered. These include such issues as: (1) control of chemical identity in isomerization reactions, (2) laser-directed photochemical and bimolecular reactions, (3) restriction of intramolecular vibrational redistribution, (4) collisional energy transfer of highly vibrationally excited molecules, (5) atmospheric sightings of highly vibrationally excited molecules and (6) molecular beam scattering of highly vibrationally excited molecules.