With support from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, the Department of Chemistry at Villanova University will acquire a single-crystal/powder X-ray diffractometer. This instrument will facilitate studies in the following areas: a) optical and chemical properties of nanoparticles and their assembly; b) the synthesis, structural characterization, and reactivity of trans-spanning ligands on octahedral complexes; c) Organic Synthesis and Carbohydrate Chemistry; d) Chiral transition metal complexes for asymmetric catalysis; e) the structure of cytoplasmic fragments of TRPV1; and f) homogeneous Ziegler-Natta polymerization
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, especially polymer synthesis and nanoscience.
