Molecular Approaches to Investigating and Developing Polymers, Organogels, and Ionic Liquids through Photochemistry, Photophysics, and Structure

该奖项旨在支持华盛顿特区乔治城大学化学系Richard G. Weiss博士的工作。该工作涉及液晶、有机凝胶和聚合物领域的广泛研究，包括使用磷盐进行选择性光化学反应和作为核磁共振溶剂，研究聚合物基质中光学活性底物的光- fries反应。利用聚合物薄膜作为促进非对映选择性光反应的反应介质，分子内光环化，制备高能中间体，以及利用高能粒子诱导通常由光子引起的选择性化学反应。将使用多种实验技术，包括单晶和粉末x射线衍射、差示扫描量热法、偏光光学显微镜、静态荧光和磷光、时间相关单光子计数和偶极核磁共振波谱。Weiss的工作涵盖了有机化学和材料科学的各个领域，其统一的主题是各向异性环境中的静态和动态分子相互作用，即材料在不同方向上具有不同性质的环境，例如定向液晶或拉伸聚乙烯薄膜。可能产生的新设备和材料包括传感器，根据大小和形状分离分子的膜，以及可用于选择性有机反应的“绿色溶剂”的有序离子液体，或者允许通过核磁共振波谱确定溶质的3D结构。这项工作预计将为学生提供良好的培训，每个学生都被分配一个研究项目，而不是一项技术，他们可能会参加一些国际合作。

With this renewal award the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program supports the work of Dr. Richard G. Weiss of the Department of Chemistry at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The work involves a broad program of research in the area of liquid crystals, organogels, and polymers, including the use of phosphonium salts for carrying out selective photochemical reactions and as NMR solvents, the study of the photo-Fries reaction of optically active substrates in polymer matrices, the use of polymer films as reaction media for promoting diastereoselective photoreactions, intramolecular photocyclizations, the preparation of high energy intermediates, and the use of high energy particles to induce selective chemical reactions normally caused by photons. A variety of experimental techniques will be used, including single-crystal and powder x-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing optical microscopy, static fluorescence and phosphorescence, time-correlated single photon counting, and dipolar nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.Dr. Weiss' work covers a variety of subjects at the interface of organic chemistry and materials science, with the unifying theme of static and dynamic molecular interactions in anisotropic environments, i.e. in environments where the material has different properties in different directions, such as in an oriented liquid crystal or a stretched polyethylene film. The new devices and materials which might result include sensors, membranes which separate molecules on the basis of size and shape, and ordered ionic liquids that may be useful as 'green solvents' for selective organic reactions, or permit 3D structures of solutes to be determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The work is expected to provide excellent training for the students, each one of whom is assigned a research project rather than a technique, and who may participate in a number of international collaborations.