In this award, funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Division of Chemistry, Professor James Lisy of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, together with his graduate and undergraduate students, will investigate the interactions between molecules in the gas-phase. In studies spanning a number of systems, the Lisy group will investigate the competition between intramolecular and intermolecular interactions, including ion-molecule interactions, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic/hydrophillic interactions. These studies will be carried out using a combination of mass spectrometric methods as well as infrared laser spectroscopic tools.
Interactions between molecules are at the heart of many interesting phenomena -- from how water behaves in its unique way to how neurotransmitters bind to their receptors in nerve cells. The goal of work like that of Prof. Lisy is to develop a better understanding of how and why molecules interact in the unique ways that they do. In addition to the broader scientific impact of the proposed research work, Prof. Lisy will continue in his strenuous efforts at outreach to members of groups that have been traditionally under represented in the sciences, through activities such as serving as faculty advisor to the local chapter of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) and through his individual encouragement and mentorship of women and underrepresented minorities in his own research group.
