Mechanistic Organic Chemistry of Relevance to the Interstellar Medium.

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With this renewal award, the Organic and Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program and the Galactic Astronomy Program supports the work of Professor Robert J. McMahon of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI. The research will extend the PI's studies of the synthesis and characterization of reactive organic molecules that may be present in the interstellar medium (ISM). The PI will synthesize carbon chain species and hydrogen deficient aromatics, characterize them by matrix isolation and ESR spectroscopy combined with quantum chemical calculations, and study their photochemistry. Since the diffuse interstellar bands, absorptions in the near-IR to near-UV, are often hypothesized to arise from either carbon chain molecules or aromatics in the diffuse ISM, these studies will aid in establishing the identity of the specific molecules responsible for these bands.These investigations of energetic molecules, which include strong partnerships with laboratory astrophysicists, are expected provide important fundamental information that will increase our understanding of interstellar molecules and of the dynamics of such species as reactive intermediates.