In this award, funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Prof. Nancy S. True of the University of California, Davis and her graduate and undergraduate student colleagues will use microwave spectroscopy to determine the rates for conformational interconversion of a range of flexible molecules. These results will provide a wealth of information about low-barrier conformational dynamics in molecules at thermal equilibrium -- information which cannot be obtained with other techniques. The information from these studies will be of interest to a wide range of scientists, interested in how flexible molecules move.
Besides the broader scientific impact of the research, students working in Prof. True's laboratory will be exposed to a wide variety of modern physical chemistry methods, including both experimental and theoretical work. Prof. True will also continue her involvement with CALTEACH, a program at U. C. Davis, which provides special courses and research opportunities to a select group of undergraduate students planning careers as science and mathematics teachers.
