This Science in Developing Countries award supports cooperative research in the kinetics of reaction chemistry to be conducted by Clifford Bunton of the University of California at Santa Barbara and Sergio Bunel and colleagues of the University of Chile in Santiago. They will study reactions of terpenoid phosphates catalyzed by bivalent metal ions, especially ionic surfactants that interact strongly with these metal cations. Rearrangements and thermal decompositions of azide ions, used to trap intermediates in hydrolysis of terpenoid esters and halides, will be examined as will sugar complexes with transition metals. The preparation work including that with labelled compounds will be done in Bunel's laboratory at the University of Chile. Various analyses, such as high field NMR, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy and GLC mass spectrometry will be done in Santa Barbara. Kinetic studies will be performed at both centers. Thus the strengths of the two laboratories contribute to the science produced by international cooperation.
