ABSTRACT
Molecular vibrational energy transfer (VET) in solution is a phenomenon of long standing and — as the present volume attests — continuing interest and importance (1-11). In this chapter, we discuss two aspects of solution phase VET: (1) the role of electrostatic Coulomb forces and (2) polyatomic VET, i.e., the involvement of noninitially excited vibrational modes in a polyatomic in the vibrational relaxation. While perhaps not lying currently in the mainstream of theoretical effort in solution phase VET — which is often focused on diatomics immersed in simple fluids — these topics represent rivulets that we anticipate will soon emerge in full flood, as more complex molecular solutes and solutions come under increasing modern experimental and theoretical scrutiny.
