The chemical properties of a molecule, and hence its function on a larger scale, depend entirely on its structure. It is therefore not enough to simply detect molecules; rather, it is essential to uncover their molecular structures. Determining these structures precisely, however, remains a major challenge to this day. A recent development in this field is the infrared ion spectroscopy (IRIS) technique. A measured IR spectrum can be seen as a fingerprint of a molecule which can be used to identify its structure.
In his thesis, Houthuijs further developed the IRIS technique and applied it to identify water contaminants and metabolites (small molecules) in blood plasma. In addition, he used IRIS to elucidate the structure of ionic intermediates in organic chemical reactions, contributing to a chemical model for understanding, predicting, and ultimately fine-tuning chemical reactivity.
