In this award, funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Prof. Patrick H. Vaccaro of Yale University and his graduate research students will investigate the spectroscopy of gas-phase molecules with low-barrier hydrogen bonds and will develop new tools, both experimental and theoretical, for studying the optical activity of isolated molecules in the gas-phase. The ultimate aim of these experiments is to gain deeper insight into a variety of chemical behaviors including hydrogen bonding, proton transfer and chirality. These are subjects of importance throughout chemistry.
Besides the impact of the research on broad areas of chemistry, Prof. Vaccaro will continue to train a diverse group of young scientists for careers in the sciences. He will continue his involvement in the shaping of the undergraduate curriculum at Yale as well as continuing an internship program, giving local high school students the opportunity to work in his laboratory.
