biostudies-literatureUnknown55(38)Thomas AThe ground-state deprotection of a simple alkynylsilane is studied under vibrational strong coupling to the zero-point fluctuations, or vacuum electromagnetic field, of a resonant IR microfluidic cavity. The reaction rate decreased by a factor of up to 5.5 when the Si-C vibrational stretching modes of the reactant were strongly coupled. The relative change in the reaction rate under strong coupling depends on the Rabi splitting energy. Product analysis by GC-MS confirmed the kinetic results. Temperature dependence shows that the activation enthalpy and entropy change significantly, suggesting that the transition state is modified from an associative to a dissociative type. These findings show that vibrational strong coupling provides a powerful approach for modifying and controlling chemical landscapes and for understanding reaction mechanisms.Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)11462-6https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC5113700biostudies-literatureGround-State Chemical Reactivity under Vibrational Coupling to the Vacuum Electromagnetic Field.PMC5113700George JEbbesen TWGenet CDryzhakov MThomas AChervy TVarma SJMoran JZhong XDevaux EShalabney AHutchison JAfalseGround-State Chemical Reactivity under Vibrational Coupling to the Vacuum Electromagnetic Field.The ground-state deprotection of a simple alkynylsilane is studied under vibrational strong coupling to the zero-point fluctuations, or vacuum electromagnetic field, of a resonant IR microfluidic cavity. The reaction rate decreased by a factor of up to 5.5 when the Si-C vibrational stretching modes of the reactant were strongly coupled. The relative change in the reaction rate under strong coupling depends on the Rabi splitting energy. Product analysis by GC-MS confirmed the kinetic results. Temperature dependence shows that the activation enthalpy and entropy change significantly, suggesting that the transition state is modified from an associative to a dissociative type. These findings show that vibrational strong coupling provides a powerful approach for modifying and controlling chemical landscapes and for understanding reaction mechanisms.2016-01-01T00:00:00Z2016 Sep2025-04-04T10:06:02.76Z2019-03-27T02:29:12ZS-EPMC51137002752983110.1002/anie.201605504