This award, made in the Organic Dynamics Program, will provide continued support for the research of Dr. Philip Shevlin at Auburn University on the reactions of atomic carbon and related high-energy intermediates such methylidynes, carbenes and nitrenes. Many of these high energy intermediates have reactivities and specificities different from those prepared by traditional routes. Specifically, Dr. Shevlin will focus on the reactions of atomic carbon with cycloalkenes, N-substituted pyrroles, imidazoles, substituted furans, and cyclopentadienes. In each case, the mechanism of product formation will be studied and reactive intermediates isolated. Atomic carbon and small carbon molecules have been observed to grow into large caged fullerene-like clusters, providing additional impetus for understanding the reactivity of atomic carbon and the reactive intermediates that can be derived from it.
