The research in my group centers on developing a better chemical understanding of the underlying chemistry associated with disinfectants used to improve the quality of drinking water. Our goal is the synthesis of cyclic ketoallenes which we suspect may be intermediates in the acid catalyzed rearrangement of 5-cyclodecynone. The reaction mechanism for the rearrangement is controversial. Our research is centered on synthesis and determination of the conformation of biologically relevant compounds. Techniques employed include variable temperature 1H NMR and IR spectroscopy, and molecular modeling using computers.
Work is focused on understanding the biological activity of high molecular weight phenolics.
Antioxidant activity and reactions with proteins are of particular interest. Our research is centered on the first-principles calculation of reaction rate constants. Of particular interest are the treatments of vibrational anharmonicity and quantum-mechanical tunneling. The focus of our research attempts to provide the basic biochemical information needed to apply the currently available tools of biotechnology to produce modified vegetable oils. To that end we are currently studying the biochemistry and molecular biology of the initial reactions of fatty acid synthesis.