With support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation (CRIF) Program, the Department of Chemistry at Wake Forest University will acquire a single crystal X-ray diffractometer with CCD detector for small molecule diffractometry. This equipment will enhance research in a number of areas including studies on a) platinum group metals as DNA metalating and crosslinking agents; b) development of a photoreversible enzyme inhibitor that activates by visible light; c) the various roles nitroc oxide performs in biological systems; d) preparation of low-dimensional cluster materials; and e) reaction mechanisms and structural aspects of DNA-targeting natural products. The X-ray diffractometer allows accurate and precise measurements of the full three dimensional structure of a molecule, including bond distances and angles, and it provides accurate information about the spatial arrangement of the molecule relative to the neighboring molecules. These studies will have an impact in a number of areas, including materials chemistry and biochemistry.
