Generating stable radicals from sterically loaded systems is in the very early stages of experimental investigation. The systems Z2R4 / ZR2 [Z = P or As, R = CH(SiMe3)2] provided the first known examples of molecules with relatively normal strong Z-Z bonds, which required no additional energy to break. The driving force for dissociation is the conformational change, which allows relaxation of the steric strain upon dissociation. This led to the term 'jack-in-the-box' molecules being applied to these systems. Other systems have been predicted to behave in this manner, although no experimental work has been carried out on them. This project would involve synthesis of the proposed systems and the study of their chemistry by various structural methods (GED, X-ray crystallography) as well as full computational studies of the reaction pathways.
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Supervisors
Supervisor:听Sarah Masters
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Key qualifications and skills
Physical Chemistry Background, Some Computational Chemistry Experience
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Does the project come with funding
No - the student must be self-funded
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Final date for receiving applications
Ongoing
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Keywords
Gas Electron Diffraction; Computational Methods; Quantum Mechanics; Molecular Structure; Radicals
