CAREER: Determination of molecular structures in solution through neutron scattering

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This CAREER award funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division supports research by Dr. John F. Turner of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to study the solution structures of superacids and superacidic systems, fluxional molecules and organometallic catalysts using the technique of neutron diffraction. The proposed research involves both synthetic chemistry and neutron scattering measurements. The long-term goals of the research are to develop structural characterization tools for species that defy other methods of analysis-- e.g. electron or X-ray diffraction techniques.The educational plan aims to teach the importance of understanding the structure of matter to both students at the University of Tennessee and high-school students in the surrounding areas. A major focus of the plan is to introduce the application of neutron scattering to the study of the structure and dynamics of matter and to educate the public in the ways in which the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at the nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory will play a role in these efforts.