Research Interests of Department of Chemistry of Ions in Gaseous Phase

The main focus is the experimental research into the properties and reactivity of gas-phase ions present in natural environments (atmosphere of the Earth, other planets and their moons, space in stellar systems and interstellar gas clouds) and of ions created by artificial ionisation for various scientific and technological purposes. Mass spectrometry methods are chiefly used and theoretical physical chemistry approaches to aid in explanation and substantiation of the findings.

The main areas of interest during the period are:

• Kinetics of gas-phase ion-molecule reactions.
   
• Ion chemistry of the Titan and Enceladus (moons of Saturn) atmospheres and the ionosphere of Mars.
   
• Research of advanced new analytical methods for trace gas analysis.
   
• The interdisciplinary research of volatile metabolites in physiology, medicine and biology.
   
• Mass spectrometry methods for environmental research, food science and synthesis of organometallic catalysts.

Fundamental questions relating to the behaviour of ions at the molecular level are identified that are highly relevant either to the understanding of yet unknown natural phenomena or to answering practical societal needs. These fundamental questions are then answered by state-of-the-art experimental research, often using original approaches or newly developed experimental techniques, the results of which are interpreted using molecular physical chemistry, quantum chemistry, reaction kinetics and thermodynamics. To assess the value of the potentially practically important research, interdisciplinary studies are carried out in collaboration with experts in biology, medicine and other areas.