RUI: Infrared Matrix Isolation Studies of Cyclic Hydrocarbons with Nitrogen and Oxygen Bases, II

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In this RUI proposal funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Cindy Samet of the Dickinson College will pursue a program of research on very weak hydrogen bonding between substituted cyclic hydrocarbons and Lewis bases. The interactions under study involve hydrocarbon-base complexes with C-H --- N (or O) hydrogen bonding. Hydrocarbon systems of interest are halogenated cyclopropane and cyclopentadiene, while bases are ammonia, trimethylamine, and dimethyl ether. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy combined with matrix isolation in argon and nitrogen matrices will be complemented by ab initio calculations. This project will serve to elucidate conditions necessary for hydrogen bonds to form. These complexes can serve as a model for hydrogen bonding in more complicated systems such as organic liquid crystals and large biomolecules. Eventually these studies may have an impact on our understanding of how protein folding occurs, how supramolecular assemblies form, and how certain crystals grow. All of these subjects are important, for example, in designing and creating new pharmaceuticals or advanced materials.