Helen Leung is supported by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program to use Fourier transform microwave (FTMW) spectroscopy to investigate perturbations of electric field gradients around quadrupolar nuclei. Preliminary indications that these perturbations can arise from van der Waals bond formation will be explored by systematic spectroscopic examination of N2O-containing complexes and imidazole-containing complexes. Spectroscopic constants derived from rotational spectra will be systematically compared for a series of complexes, to improve the understanding of intermolecular interactions involving quadrupolar nuclei. This Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) project provides an introduction to modern physical chemistry research methods to undergraduate chemistry majors. Van der Waals molecules are held together by forces that are much smaller than the chemical bonds that hold atoms together in a molecule. Examination of the structure of weakly bound molecules in gas phase complexes provides an opportunity to sort out the specific forces that are at play in a controlled environment. Weak van der Waals interactions are important when molecules are in close proximity to one another, as is the case in biological systems. The research aspects of this RUI project will serve as a meaningful educational vehicle to introduce the scientific method to future scientists.
