This project supports a collaborative research by Dr. R. D. Verma, Chemistry Department, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India and Dr. J. M. Shreeve, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Idaho, Moscow. The work will focus on fluorine chemistry including development of new fluorine compounds by introducing fluorine atoms to specific known chemicals and characterizing the resulting new materials. The characterization will be via infrared, mass, and NMR spectral techniques. The possibilities for major contributions in agricultural, health and industrial environments are large. This research will require updating facilities at Chandigarh to handle the difficult compounds involved, including special glass and metal vacuum lines, and appropriate reaction vessels. In addition to work in Chandigarh and Moscow, crystal structure studies will be carried with Professor Roger Willett at Washington State University in Pullman. Also gas diffraction studies on any small volatile molecules of interest will be carried out at The University of Tubingen under Professor Heinz Oberhammer Scope: This project brings together a very active and productive Indian chemist with a senior Anerican scientist, who is an expert in the field, to build up good research capability for fluorine research in India. Simultaneously the field will benefit through the production of new compounds and their characterization. This research could benefit the U.S. and India scientifically as well as by applicability of some of the results to commercial use in agriculture, health or industry.
