Mechanistic Organic Chemistry of Relevance to Astrochemistry

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With this Renewal Award, the Chemical Structure, Dynamics, and Mechanisms Program continues to support Professor Robert J. McMahon of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in a project involving investigations of fundamental issues in structural and mechanistic organic chemistry of relevance to astrochemistry. The project will explore the structure, reactivity, and spectroscopy of carbon-rich molecules that are hypothesized to play a role in the chemistry of interstellar clouds, protoplanetary nebulae, circumstellar shells, and the atmosphere of Titan. The PI and his students and collaborators will generate these energetic species, determine their spectroscopic properties, investigate their thermal and photochemical reactivity and attempt to detect them as constituents of interstellar space. This interdisciplinary program will utilize the techniques of synthetic organic chemistry, molecular spectroscopy, quantum chemistry and observational astronomy to obtain a deeper understanding of the organic chemistry occurring in interstellar space.This project, which cuts across numerous disciplines including fundamental organic chemistry, astrochemistry and combustion chemistry, will train graduate and undergraduate students in the techniques of organic synthesis, matrix isolation, and molecular spectroscopy.