Linear and Non-Linear Optical Activity Studies

通过这个奖项，有机和大分子化学项目支持了田纳西大学诺克斯维尔分校罗伯特·n·康普顿教授的工作。这项研究将涉及使用新型激光光学光谱学研究手性分子（具有不可重叠镜像的分子）。这项研究将涉及到允许手性分子吸收“多光子”的高功率激光器，称为非线性多光子光谱学，而不是使用了许多年的单光子（线性光谱学）。对这些多光子手性光学过程的研究将有助于更好地理解手性分子。此外，将尝试进行不对称合成，即利用圆偏振光的多光子激发制备单光学异构体。圆偏振光（其中有左圆偏振光和右圆偏振光）与两个不可重叠的镜像分子的相互作用不同。因此，有可能使圆偏振光产生的产物是两个镜像之一。实验工作将得到理论计算的支持。就更广泛的影响而言，本研究将影响手性有机分子的合成。许多有机分子，如药物和生物分子都是手性的，人们对手性分子的合成非常感兴趣，这不是一件容易做好的事情。这项研究还将通过解决“为什么所有氨基酸或糖在生命分子中都是单手性的”这个问题，触及生命起源的主题。这项研究也是培养化学和物理学生的一个很好的工具，因为这项研究跨越了两个学科，拓宽了这两个学科的知识和训练。

With this award, the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program supports the work of Professor Robert N. Compton of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. This research will involve the study of chiral molecules (molecules with a non-superimposable mirror image) using novel laser based optical spectroscopy. The study will involve high-power lasers which allow for "multiple-photon" absorption by chiral molecules, called non-linear multiphoton spectroscopy, as opposed to the one-photon (linear spectroscopy) used for many, many years. The study of these multiphoton chiro-optical processes will allow greater understanding of chiral molecules. Further, attempts will be made to do asymmetric synthesis, that is, the preparation of a single optical isomer, using multiphoton excitation with circularly polarized light. Circularly polarized light (of which there is left and right circularly polarized light) interacts differently with the two non-superimposable mirror image molecules. Thus it may be possible to have the circularly polarized light produce a product which is one of the two mirror images. The experimental work will be supported by theoretical calculations.In terms of the broader impacts, this research will impact the synthesis of chiral organic molecules. Many organic molecules such as drugs and the molecules of living creatures are chiral and there is tremendous interest in synthesizing chiral molecules, which is not an easy thing to do well. This research will also touch on the subject of the origins of life by addressing the question "why are all amino acids or sugars in life molecules of one handedness?" This research is also an excellent vehicle for training both chemistry and physics students, since this research spans both disciplines, and to broaden the knowledge and training of both.