9357108 Forbes This NSF Young Investigator Award from the Organic Dynamics Program supports the work of Professor Forbes at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill on biradical systems in an array of chemical systems. The specific areas are: (a) studies of exchange couplings in novel semi- flexible organic biradicals by exploring the effects of unsaturation, spacers, temperature, and solvents with the objective to evaluate the through-bond and through-space mechanisms; (b) studies on diffusion of organic reactive intermediates on solid surfaces using ultra fast time-resolved EPR spectroscopy with emphasis on determining the influence of solvents; (c) studies using biradicals as probes of polymer chain dynamics and photodegradation including the use of supercritical fluids; (d) synthesis of bi- and tricyclic ketones using olefin methathesis; and (e) improving the multiple frequency time-resolved EPR spectroscopy methodology. %%% With this NYI award Professor Malcolm Forbes will conduct studies of organic biradicals in a variety of systems that range from the synthesis of polycyclic ketones to olefin methathesis and anionic polymerization. The research is largely aimed at determining how the different parts of molecular systems communicate with each other electronically and how external factors such as solvents, temperature, and spacers influence the diffusion, dynamics, and exchange couplings. The work will include diffusion studies on the solvent/solid interface and studies on photodegradable polymers. ***
