The largest of these programs is coal chemistry. We have DOE supported research fellowships for work in several areas of coal chemistry. We have adopted a number of classical polymer chemistry techniques and applied them to the study of the macro molecular chemistry of coals. A number of puzzling structure effects on reactivity have been observed. We wish to extend the scope and our understanding of this reaction, and wish to develop chiral ligands in an attempt to carry out asymmetric hydrogenations.
Molten salts are unique and unexplored media for organic reactions.
We have studies of a variety of chemical reactions in molten salts including nucleophilic aromatic substitution and methane oligomerization. These media are also being used to develop new organic reactions, for example using phenoxide ion as a hydrogen source in the reduction of aryl halides. Our present work focuses on the aromatization of cyclohexene over colloid Pt deposited in melts. We are interested in the stability of carbonium ions in strong acids and use solution calorimetry to measure heats of formation directly. Our chief interest now is measuring the stability and homoconjugated cations.