Department of Chemistry
Lederle GRC, Box 34510
University of Massachusetts 
Amherst, MA 01003-4510 
phone: (413) 545-6089 
email: rbmetz@chemistry.umass.edu 

1986 - B.A. in Chemistry and Mathematics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
1991 - Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA. 
Advisor: Daniel M. Neumark 
Dissertation Title: Studies of Transition States and Radicals by Negative Ion Photodetachment 

2001-           Associate Professor. Dept. of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
1995-2001 Assistant Professor. Dept. of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
1991-1995 NSF Postdoctoral Fellow. University of Wisconsin, Madison, with F. Fleming Crim.
1986-1991 NSF Predoctoral Fellow and Research Assistant. University of California, Berkeley.
1989-1991 Teaching Assistant. University of California, Berkeley. 
1985-1986 Undergraduate Research Assistant, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, with Walter Koski. 
1982-1986 Laboratory Aide, National Bureau of Standards (now NIST), Gaithersburg, MD, (summers) with Thomas Buckley and Sharon Lias. 

1998 National Science Foundation CAREER Award 
1995 Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award 
1991 National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow 
1989 University Fellow, University of California, Berkeley 
1986 National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellow 
1986 Phi Beta Kappa 

American Chemical Society - Petroleum Research Fund, "Photofragment Studies of Transition Metal Dication Solvation by Water and Methanol," 2/1/01 - 8/31/03, $ 60,000.

National Science Foundation, "CAREER: Spectroscopic Studies of Transition Metal Ion Catalysis," 2/1/99 - 1/31/03, $ 363,800.

American Chemical Society - Petroleum Research Fund, "Photofragmentation Studies of Transition Metal Dication Solvation," 1/1/98 - 12/31/99, $ 20,000.

University of Massachusetts Faculty Research Grant, "A Pulsed Electrospray Source for Studies of Ion Solvation," 3/31/96 - 3/30/97, $ 5,000.

Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, "Photofragmentation Studies of the Bonding and Dynamics of Transition Metal-Organic Molecule Complexes," 9/1/95 - 8/31/00, $ 25,000.

National Science Foundation (Startup portion of NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship), "Spectroscopy and Photofragmentation Dynamics of Transition Metal Atom-Organic Molecule Complexes," 12/1/95 - 11/30/97, $ 32,000.

American Chemical Society
American Physical Society 
American Society for Mass Spectrometry 

PI publications
 

32) "Electronic Spectroscopy of Intermediates Involved in the Conversion of Methane to Methanol by FeO⁺," F. Aguirre, J. Husband, C. J. Thompson, K. L. Stringer and R. B. Metz, J. Chem. Phys. 116, 4071-4078 (2002).
 

31) "Methane-to-Methanol Conversion by Transition Metal Oxide Cations: Experiment and Theory," R. B. Metz, invited book chapter, Research Advances in Physical Chemistry Vol. 2, R. M. Mohan, Ed., Global, Trivandrum, India, pp. 35-43 (2001).
 

30) "Electronic Spectroscopy and Photodissociation Dynamics of Hydrated Co²⁺ Clusters: Co²⁺(H₂O)_n (n = 4-7)," K. P. Faherty, C. J. Thompson, F. Aguirre, J. Michne and R. B. Metz, J. Phys. Chem. A, 105, 10054-10059 (2001).
 

29) "Photodissociation Spectra of Transition Metal Sulfides: Spin-Orbit Structure in Charge Transfer Bands of FeS⁺ and NiS⁺," J. Husband, F. Aguirre, C. J. Thompson and R. B. Metz, Chem. Phys. Lett., 342, 75-84 (2001).
 

28) "Photofragment Spectroscopy and Dynamics of NiOH⁺ and NiOH⁺(H₂O)," C. J. Thompson, F. Aguirre, J. Husband and R. B. Metz, J. Phys. Chem. A, 104, 9901-9905 (2000).
 

27) "Photodissociation Dynamics of Hydrated Ni²⁺ Clusters: Ni²⁺(H₂O)_n (n = 4-7)," C. J. Thompson, J. Husband, F. Aguirre and R. B. Metz, J. Phys. Chem. A, 104, 8155-8159 (2000).
 

26) "Photofragment Spectroscopy of FeCH₂⁺, CoCH₂⁺, and NiCH₂⁺ near the M⁺-CH₂ Dissociation Threshold," J. Husband, F. Aguirre, C. J. Thompson, C. M. Laperle and R. B. Metz, J. Phys. Chem. A 104, 2020-2024 (2000).
 

25) "Gas-Phase Photodissociation of AuCH₂⁺: the Dissociation Threshold of Jet-Cooled and Rotationally Thermalized Ions," F. Aguirre, J. Husband, C. J. Thompson and R. B. Metz, Chem. Phys. Lett. 318, 466-470 (2000).
 

24) "Vibrationally Resolved Photofragment Spectroscopy of FeO⁺," J. Husband, F. Aguirre, P. Ferguson and R. B. Metz, J. Chem. Phys. 111, 1433-1437 (1999). 

Non-PI Publications 
 

23) "Probing the New Bond in the Vibrationally Controlled Bimolecular Reaction of O with HOD (4n_OH)," J. M. Pfeiffer, E. Woods III, R. B. Metz and F. F. Crim, J. Chem. Phys., submitted (2000). 
 

22) "Spectators and Participants in Vibrational State Controlled Bimolecular Reactions," J. M. Pfeiffer, J. D. Thoemke, R. B. Metz, A. Sinha, M. C. Hsiao, E. Woods III and F. F. Crim, Springer Series in Chemical Physics 61, 32 (1996).
 

21) "Vibrationally Mediated Photodissociation of Isocyanic Acid (HNCO): Preferential N-H Bond Fission by Excitation of the Reaction Coordinate," S. S. Brown, R. B. Metz, H. L. Berghout and F. F. Crim, J. Chem. Phys. 105, 6293 (1996).
 

20) "Reactions of O, H and Cl Atoms with Highly Vibrationally Excited HCN: Using Product States to Determine Mechanisms," J. M. Pfeiffer, R. B. Metz, J. D. Thoemke, Ephraim Woods III and F. F. Crim, J. Chem. Phys. 104, 4490 (1996).
 

19) "Study of HCO₂ and DCO₂ by Negative Ion Photoelectron Spectroscopy," E. H. Kim, S. E. Bradforth, D. W. Arnold, R. B. Metz and D. M. Neumark, J. Chem. Phys. 103, 7801 (1995).
 

18) "Mode- and Bond-Selective Reactions of Chlorine Atoms with Highly Vibrationally Excited H₂O and HOD," J. D. Thoemke, J. M. Pfeiffer, R. B. Metz and F. F. Crim, J. Phys. Chem. 99, 13748 (1995). 
 

17) "The Reaction of Chlorine Atoms with Highly Vibrationally Excited HCN," R. B. Metz, J. M. Pfeiffer, J. D. Thoemke and F. F. Crim, Chem. Phys. Lett. 221, 347 (1994). 
 

16) "Selectively Breaking Either Bond in the Bimolecular Reaction of HOD with Hydrogen Atoms," R. B. Metz, J. D. Thoemke, J. M. Pfeiffer and F. F. Crim, J. Chem. Phys. 99, 1744 (1993).
 

15) "Fast Beam Studies of NCO Free Radical Photodissociation," D. R. Cyr, R. E. Continetti, R. B. Metz, D. L. Osborn and D. M. Neumark, J. Chem. Phys. 97, 4937 (1992). 
 

14) "Adiabatic Three-Dimensional Simulations of the IHI ^-, BrHI ^-, and BrHBr ^- Photoelectron Spectra," R. B. Metz and D. M. Neumark, J. Chem. Phys. 97, 962 (1992).
 

13) "Transition State Spectroscopy of Bimolecular Reactions Using Negative Ion Photodetachment," R. B. Metz, S. E. Bradforth and D. M. Neumark, Adv. Chem. Phys. 81, 1 (1992).
 

12) "Spectroscopy of the Transition State: Hydrogen Abstraction Reactions of Fluorine," S. E. Bradforth, D. W. Arnold, R. B. Metz, A. Weaver and D. M. Neumark, J. Phys. Chem. 95, 8066 (1991). 
 

11) "Fast Beam Studies of N₃ Photodissociation," R. E. Continetti, D. R. Cyr, R. B. Metz and D. M. Neumark, Chem. Phys. Lett. 182, 406 (1991). 
 

10) "Study of the ²B₁ and ²A₂ States of CH₂NO₂ via Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy of the CH₂NO₂^- Anion," R. B. Metz, D. R. Cyr and D. M. Neumark, J. Phys. Chem. 95, 2900 (1991). 
 

9) "Investigation of the F + H₂ Transition State Region via Photoelectron Spectroscopy of the FH₂^- Anion," A. Weaver, R. B. Metz, S. E. Bradforth and D. M. Neumark, J. Chem. Phys. 93, 5352 (1990).
 

8) "Examination of the Br + HI, Cl + HI, and F + HI Hydrogen Abstraction Reactions by Photoelectron Spectroscopy of BrHI^-, ClHI^- and FHI^-," S. E. Bradforth, A. Weaver, D. W. Arnold, R. B. Metz and D. M. Neumark, J. Chem. Phys. 92, 7205 (1990).
 

7) "Probing the Transition State with Negative Ion Photodetachment: The Cl + HCl and Br + HBr Reactions," R. B. Metz, A. Weaver, S. E. Bradforth, T. N. Kitsopoulos and D. M. Neumark, J. Phys. Chem. 94, 1377 (1990).
 

6) "Observation of the ²B₂ and ²A₂ States of NO₂ by Negative Ion Photoelectron Spectroscopy of NO₂^-," A. Weaver, R. B. Metz, S. E. Bradforth and D. M. Neumark, J. Chem. Phys. 90, 2070 (1989).
 

5) "Spectroscopy of the I + HI Transition State Region by Photodetachment of IHI^-," A. Weaver, R. B. Metz, S. E. Bradforth and D. M. Neumark, J. Phys. Chem. 92, 5558 (1988).
 

4) "Study of the Transition State Region in the Cl + HCl Reaction by Photoelectron Spectroscopy of ClHCl^-," R. B. Metz, T. Kitsopoulos, A. Weaver and D. M. Neumark, J. Chem. Phys. 88, 1463 (1988).
 

3) "Proton Affinities of Diacetylene, Cyanoacetylene, and Cyanogen," C. A. Deakyne, M. Meot-Ner, T. J. Buckley and R. B. Metz, J. Chem. Phys. 86, 2334 (1987). 
 

2) "Proton Affinity and Gas-Phase Ion Chemistry of Methyl Isocyanate, Methyl Isothiocyanate, and Methyl Thiocyanate," Z. Karpas, W. J. Stevens, T. J. Buckley and R. B. Metz, J. Phys. Chem. 89, 5274 (1985). 
 

1) "Consecutive Ion/Molecule Condensation Reactions and Photodissociation Mechanisms of Condensation Ions in Polyacetylenic Compounds," T. J. Buckley, L. W. Sieck, R. Metz, S. G. Lias and J. F. Liebman, Int. J. Mass Spec. Ion Proc. 65, 181 (1985).