Coke, Soot, and Interstellar Carbon Dust: Optoelectronic Signatures of Nano-Carbon and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Presence of H atoms

The proposed study seeks to determine the optoelectronic properties of carbonaceous materials, including flame-generated nano-carbon matters and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon clusters, and their relationship to molecular structure and its transformation subject to hydrogen atom exposure.  The study will focus on a basic understanding of the occurrence of sp²-interlayers bonding and to unravel the mechanisms, based on first principles, for the formation of pyrolytic carbon (coke) and flame-formed carbon materials.  The work proposed is expected to provide a basic understanding of pyrolytic carbon nucleation and growth of relevance to high-speed propulsion.  In particular, the reaction and binding mechanisms unraveled will offer useful technological solutions to preventing coke formation from fuel cracking at high temperature.