Mechanistic and Exploratory Organic Photochemistry

这个项目继续了一个涉及该领域几个方面的五花八门的机械有机研究计划。这些研究包括对激发态有机分子的化学的研究，其中是否激发态超表面上的无辐射衰变到替代产物或能量势垒主导了事件的进程，这一点仍有待确定。用来探讨这些问题的方法包括量子力学、理论和实验化学。一种不同的努力涉及到这样一种情况，即反应分子被嵌入到有限且不规则大小的空腔中。构象约束随后改变了原本观察到的反应过程。凭借这一奖项，有机化学和高分子化学项目继续支持威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校的霍华德·E·齐默尔曼教授的研究。齐默尔曼教授的研究活动是在机械有机化学领域，这涉及到在各种条件下仔细观察化学反应，以便准确地确定它们是如何发生的。由于人们不能在分子反应时直接观察它们，所以人们必须想出其他的方法来推断这些事件。齐默尔曼教授的实验室特别强调由光的吸收引发的反应，以及被困在晶体中的分子。

This project continues a variegated mechanistic organic research program that touches upon several aspects in the field. These include investigations of the chemistry of excited state organic molecules, where it remains to be determined if radiationless decay to alternative products or energy barriers on the excited state hypersurface govern the course of events. Methods used to probe these questions include quantum mechanical, theoretical, and experimental chemistry. A different endeavor involves the case where a reacting molecule is imbedded in a cavity of limited and irregular size. Conformational constraints then alter the otherwise observed course of the reaction. With this Award, the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program continues support for the research of Professor Howard E. Zimmerman of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Professor Zimmerman's research activities are in the area of mechanistic organic chemistry, which involves making close observations of chemical reactions under a variety of conditions in order to determine precisely how they occur. Since one cannot directly observe molecules as they react, one must devise other means of deducing these events. Particular emphasis in Professor Zimmerman's laboratories is given to reactions that are initiated by the absorption of light, and of molecules that are trapped within crystals.