This grant in Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry provides support for the research of Dr. Laren Tolbert, Georgia Institute of Technology. The work focuses on fundamental aspects of the acid-base properties of organic molecules. Acid-base relationships and their understanding are at the core of all reaction chemistry, controlling the most fundamental of interactions between molecules. Certain organic molecules are predicted to be extremely strong acids when placed in the excited state, yet exhibit no measurable indication of that acidity through rapid proton transfer. The principles governing this sluggish behavior will be studied in detail. Molecules which exhibit kinetic as well as thermodynamic acidity will also be studied. Techniques to be utilized include semiempirical molecular orbital calculations, steady-state and time resolved emission and absorption measurements, photoproduct analysis, and synthetic methods development. Possible applications include better substrates for "pH jump" experiments and useful photoinitators for cationic polymerizations.
