This project is in the general areas of analytical and surface chemistry and inorganic, bioinorganic, and organometallic chemistry and addresses the broad subfield of electron transfer processes. Dr. Hupp, who is supported in the Inorganic, Bioinorgaqnic, and Organometallic Chemistry Program under NSF grant CHE-8710014 and who is also a Presidential Young Investigator awardee in the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, is focussing his research efforts on two areas. The first involves the development and characterization of new, electroactive polymeric materials from which large dimension structural arrays will be prepared. These assemblies should enable the three dimensional control of redox site distribution and are expected to be applicable in the technologically important areas of imaging displays and electrocatalysis. Dr. Hupp's second research focus centers on mechanistic studies of photolytically and thermally induced electron transfer reactions. These studies are relevant to an enhanced understanding of light-driven energy conversion processes, particularly those involved in photosynthesis. This present action provides funds for the acquisition of a spectrophotometer with which the ultraviolet, visible, and near- infrared spectral characteristics of species involved in electron transfer processes of interest to Dr. Hupp can be studied. This instrument will be extremely useful to both of Dr. Hupp's NSF- supported research activities.
