This research in the laboratory of Professor Jeff C. Curtis at the University of San Francisco is funded under the RUI program by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program. Proton-coupled electron transfer reactions with low driving forces will be studied in order to determine whether H-bonded intermediates accelerate the movement of the electron from reductant to oxidant. Details of other effects including isotopic substitution, driving force and solvent will be determined in order to learn more about the mechanism of proton coupled electron transfer. Theoretical calculations will also be performed to establish the electronic structure of the H-bonded intermediates. Proton-coupled redox reactions are important in catalytic transformations and in biological electron transfer. A simple reaction of this type will be studied in order to determine its major features.
