Joint research with Prof. Otto Dopfer

Prof. Matsumoto visited the laboratory of Prof. Otto Dopfer at Technical University Berlin on March 18 – 25, 2024. This was the opportunity for our joint research supported by the JSPS Bilateral Exchange Program between Japan and Germany. We proceeded to write our manuscript on IR photodissociation spectroscopy of the hydrated clusters of pyrrole dimer cations (Py2+(H2O)n).

Research presentation by undergraduate students

Three undergraduate students in our laboratory, Mr. Eiyu Mitsukawa, Ms. Haruka Nishimura, and Mr. Shintaro Koakutsu, had a research presentation for the Department of Chemistry. Their talk titles are “Simulation study on controlling optical cavity for vibrational strong coupling”, “Structural analysis of 2,5-dimethylpyrrole – water clusters by IR spectroscopy”, and “Structural analysis of 2,5-dimethylpyrrole – propylene oxide clusters by IR spectroscopy” by EM, HN, and SK, respectively.

Visit to NAIST

We (Prof. Matsumoto, Mr. Oyaide, and Mr. Furukawa) visited the laboratory of Prof. Hiroyuki Katsuki at the Nara Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) on November 10. We discussed the vibrational strong coupling of gas-phase molecules and clusters, based on the presentation of our research plan. In addition, we had an opportunity for the laboratory tour to see the experimental apparatus for the vibrational polariton in a liquid phase.

6th International Symposium of JSPS Core-to-Core Program

6th International Symposium of JSPS Core-to-Core Program on “Molecular Recognition Mechanism between Flexible Molecules” was held on October 16-20 at Technical University Berlin, Germany. Prof. Matsumoto had an opportunity of the oral presentation “Hydration switching on the intermolecular orientation of pyrrole dimer cations probed by IR photodissociation spectroscopy”. In addition, Mr. Yuki Hayano (M1) presented his poster “Hydrogen bonding structures of propargyl alcohol clusters probed by IR cavity ringdown spectroscopy”.