J. Phys. Chem. A 2010, 114, 2955
2955
Tribute to Benoît Soep The scientific activity of Benoît Soep centers on molecular physics with particular emphasis on the dynamics of excited states and chemical reaction dynamics. A unifying theme in his research is the development of novel and direct experimental approaches to basic phenomena in physical chemistry. Notable successes include the direct observation of singlet to triplet energy transfer in large polyatomic molecules, spectroscopic characterization of the transition state in bimolecular reactions, and the real time study of photoinduced processes. Benoît’s research on the spectroscopy of the reaction transition state was a breakthrough in physical chemistry. He proposed and successfully executed an experimental technique in which chemical reactions are photoinduced in nonreactive van-derWaals complexes by electronically exciting one of the moieties in the HgCl2 complex in 1983. Such an experiment enabled one to initiate a chemical reaction from a reasonably well-defined set of initial geometries, as opposed to a scattering experiment in which all impact parameters and reactant orientations are sampled. Benoît’s experiment has evolved into one of the standard methods of modern day chemical physics. It has been incorporated by many laboratories into frequency- and timedomain experiments aimed at elucidating the spectroscopy and dynamics of the reaction transition state. Hence, it represented a paradigm shift in reaction dynamics, as it heralded the advent of direct experimental probes of the transition state as opposed to the measurement of the asymptotic properties of a chemical reaction characteristic of a crossed molecular beams scattering experiment. Benoît has a taste for adventure, exploring new fields into which “reasonable” people would not go. Furthermore, he always succeeds in solving experimental problems with ultrasimple and cheap solutions, usually using a part of his
“museum” (a collection of old and broken experimental components). Actually, his adventurous spirit looks to be a constant in his life, since he crossed the Sahara desert with his wife in an old black (why black?) Peugeot 404. For those who do not know what kind of car it is, watch an Inspector Colombo TV episode and you can imagine that this was very hazardous travel. Since Benoît Soep is still with us one can conclude that this was another successful experiment! Former students of Benoît’s report that he is really appreciated as a Ph.D. supervisor for his dedication to his students, for his open-mindedness, and for his will to transmit his wide cultural and scientific experience. His scientific experience is sometimes so vast that it is difficult for his students to catch all the underlying knowledge, but with some habits or more experience they can realize how clever his explanations are. Well, one should confess that this is also true for his colleagues.... Benoît’s knowledge does not stop at the boarder of science but goes much further. He is very interested in the history of civilization, arts, and literature. He is fluent in several languages (English, German, Spanish, Arabian, Farsi, and French). He was a student in the Paris University in 1968 and still keeps some of the good aspects of this “revolution”, like fashion freedom: who has ever seen him with a tie? Benoît is also appreciated by his colleagues for his kindness and modesty that make him also a perfect humanist. We wish Benoît a pleasant emeritus!
10.1021/jp100113m 2010 American Chemical Society Published on Web 03/11/2010
Lionel Poisson Christophe Jouvet Daniel M. Neumark JP100113M
