Perspective: Water cluster mediated atmospheric chemistry

The importance of water in atmospheric and environmental chemistry initiated recent studies with results documenting catalysis, suppression and anti-catalysis of thermal and photochemical reactions due to hydrogen bonding of reagents with water. Water, even one water molecule in binary complexes, has been shown by quantum chemistry to stabilize the transition state and lower its energy. However, new results underscore the need to evaluate the relative competing rates between reaction and dissipation to elucidate the role of water in chemistry. Water clusters have been used successfully as models for reactions in gas-phase, in aqueous condensed phases and at aqueous surfaces. Opportunities for experimental and theoretical chemical physics to make fundamental new discoveries abound. Work in this field is timely given the importance of water in atmospheric and environmental chemistry. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3608919]