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In a joint experimental-theoretical work, a team of researchers, including theorists from UC San Diego, have shown for the first time that heat transfer in the form of infrared radiation can influence chemical reactions more strongly than traditional convection and conduction methods.

Using an optical cavity to confine infrared light waves, researchers focused on the thermal dehydration of an inorganic crystal, copper sulfate pentahydrate. They found that light-matter vibrational coupling (resulting in states known as polaritons) lowered the temperature needed for dehydration by up to 14°C.

This was attributed to radiative energy transport, in which heat energy is radiated outward as photons from a hot region are absorbed by a cooler region (the crystal)—a mechanism of heat conduction that had been overlooked until now.

This work establishes a mechanism for modifying thermochemical processes using optical cavities, with implications for the development of catalytic systems that exploit these interactions to achieve targeted control over certain chemical reactions and optoelectronic processes.

The research is in the journal Nature Chemistry.