This award is to support a collaborative project by Dr. Philip Shevlin, Professor of Chemistry, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, and Dr. Fatma Sevin, Professor of Chemistry at Hacettepe University in Ankara. They plan to conduct studies of the reactions of carbon vapor with hydroxy- and alkoxy-substituted organic species with the objective of having deeper understanding of both carbon atom chemistry and carbene rearrangements. The chemistry of carbon vapor forms the intellectual foundation for topics as diverse as the formation of fullerenes / nanotubes / soot, combustion processes, and the reaction chemistry of interstellar clouds. Carbon atoms are among the few chemical species whose reactions from several excited states can be studied. These studies are intended to extend our knowledge of the effects of extreme electron deficiency on chemical reactivity. Many of the unusual molecules that are formed as products of carbon atom reactions, for instance the highly strained small-ring cumulenes to be studied in this project, are otherwise inaccessible. Practical benefits from carbon vapor reaction studies include the prospects for new materials such as modified fullerenes and fulleroids.
Scope: The project brings together a leading US expert in the field and a young energetic Turkish (female) scientist to work in an important research area. Shevlin is the leading chemist in the US in studying the organic chemistry of carbon vapor, and will provide expertise in the intricacies of atomic carbon generation. Dr. Sevin has developed some experimental expertise through previous collaborations in Professor Shevlin's lab at Auburn, and also has considerable theoretical expertise. There is a potential for significant educational and developmental benefits. The investigation of carbon vapor chemistry involves extremely sophisticated ideas but the equipment required, now that it has been effectively developed by Professor Shevlin, is robust and transportable. Thus it is quite feasible to set up a facility at Hacettepe University in Turkey for these experiments. This will enable Dr. Sevin to provide cutting edge research opportunities to her students, and to enhance the training of young chemists in Turkey. Dr. Shevlin and his university will benefit from having Turkish scientists as graduate students and postdoctoral research associates. This proposal meets the INT objective of supporting collaborative research in areas of mutual interest. The project is being funded jointly by the Office of International Science and Engineering and the Division of Chemistry.
