Professor Patrick Dussault of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is supported by the Chemical Synthesis program in the Division of Chemistry to conduct research related to new reactions of organic peroxides. The research focuses on two areas: 1) Mild methods to generate the first excited state of oxygen, often known as "singlet oxygen", through the chemical decomposition of readily available 1,1-dihydroperoxides; and, 2) Investigations of the new methods for formation of carbon-oxygen bonds based upon application of organic peroxides as electrophiles towards carbon-based nucleophiles.
This research may lead to much milder and more efficient methods for the rapid and/or large-scale generation of singlet oxygen, an important chemical oxidant which is also the power source for large-scale industrial and military lasers. The development of new methods for introduction of carbon-oxygen bonds is of great importance for industries and disciplines that need to prepare new organic molecules; this includes the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. Moreover, this project may enable the synthesis of classes of molecules not generally available at present, opening the doors to new technologies and yet unimagined classes of organic materials and polymers. The research will offer an outstanding opportunity for training of undergraduates and graduate students as future members of the nation's technical workforce. The training will be focused on organic chemistry (both experimental and literature components) but will also include strong components in teamwork, communication, mentoring, and research leadership.
