US-Egypt Cooperative Research: Mechanism of Photochromism of Dithizonate Complexes Useful for Commercial Application

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0112607ElsayedDescription: This award is to support a collaborative project between Dr. Mostafa El-Sayed, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia and Dr. Mohamed F. R. Fouda, Department of Inorganic Chemistry, National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt. They plan to study the molecular mechanism of the phenomena of photochemical transformations in dithizone complexes. They plan to synthesize transition metal primary and secondary complexes as well as organo-mercuric compounds, and follow the photochemical transformations on the femtosecond-to-second scale by the use of optical and infrared transient laser spectroscopy. The formation and decay times of the different intermediates formed during the photochromic process will be followed in time from their electronic and vibration absorption spectra. The effect of the exciting wavelength, temperature and solvent (including different polymers) will be examined. Scope: The project supports collaboration between two very experienced investigators. Professor El-Sayed is a world-renowned expert in laser spectroscopy and in femtochemistry. Dr. Fouda has excellent experience in dithizone complexes synthesis and properties. These complexes have very important photochromic properties and represent important materials of commercial and industrial applications. The synthesis of the compounds will be made at the NRC in Cairo while the spectroscopic studies will be carried out at Georgia Tech. The project will include the two scientists and a graduate student from Egypt. Visits by these three will be exchanged in each of the three years of the project. The proposal meets the INT objective of supporting collaborative research in areas of mutual interest. This project is being supported under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to carry out these cooperative activities.