Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1983. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 183-185).

Thesis (Doctoral in Chemistry and Chemical Biology)--University of California, San Francisco, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Bowling Green State University, 2005. / Document formatted into pages; contains xvii, 133 p. : ill. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Chemistry, March 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references.

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<p> The infrared and Raman spectra of ethynylbenzene-h6, -d1, -d5 and -d6 have been analysed, and the fundamental frequencies assigned.</p> <p> Vibrational analyses of the electronic spectra of ethynylbenzene-h6, -d1, -d5 and -d6 in the 2900-2500 Å region have been carried out. The transition is identified as an allowed A~1B2<--X~1A1 transition. A very strong "forbidden" component, which borrows intensity from a B~1A1<--X~1A1 transition by vibronic interactions, also appears in the spectrum.</p> <p> Semi-empirical LCAO-SCF-MO-CI calculations predict the lowest singlet excited state to be of B2 symmetry, at an energy above the ground state close to the experimental values.</p> <p> Rotational band contour analysis substantiates the observation that both A- and B-type bands are present in the electronic spectrum. Ethynylbenzene remains planar and shows little geometrical change on electronic excitation.</p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The photochemistry of several novel photoacids was addressed experimentally and theorectically. Initial studies focused on the excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) of several chiral phtoacids and explored the effects of chirality on ESPT; subsequent studies examined photochemistry and photophysics of "super" photoacid N-methyl-6-hydroxyquinolinium (MHQ). In the initial studies, no enantioselectivity was observed from the chiral photoacids to various chiral proton acceptors. In the later studies examining ESPT in MHQ both experimentally and theoretically, the excited-state acidity constant of the photoacid was determined to be an unprecedented -7, making it the strongest photoacid reported in the literature to-date. Consideration was then given to applications of the novel photoacid including its properties as a photoinitiator in cationic polymerizations and as a photochemical probe in gas-expanded liquids and in the Nafion membrane. In the course of these studies, an interesting fluorescence quenching effect was observed that became the subject of some exploratory studies that suggest a nucleophilic quenching mechanism.

Pluronics are triblock copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) available in different molecular weights and PPO/PEO ratios. Pluronic hydrogels are able to dissolve hydrophobic compounds and they have application in different areas including drug delivery systems and oil recovery. The structure of Pluronic polymers can be designed for specific application by changing the size and ratio of the PPO and PEO blocks. In aqueous environments, the PPO blocks of different unimers form aggregates as they are more hydrophobic compared to the PEO blocks, and in the aggregates the PPOs have less exposure to water. The PEO blocks that are still hydrophilic remain soluble in water and form a shell around the PPO aggregated core. Moreover, some of the Pluronic copolymer aqueous solutions can form hydrogels at elevated temperatures. The aim of this thesis is to study the microheterogeneity of two different Pluronic hydrogels using singlet excited state probes and also study the mobility of small molecules in Pluronic hydrogels using triplet excited state probes. In the first project, the properties of different microenvironments in Pluronic F127 (PEO99PPO65PEO99) were characterized. The quenching of singlet excited state probes was used to determine the number and characteristics of solubilization sites in F127 hydrogels. This method was used to gain information on the accessibility of different quenchers to singlet excited molecules bound to the micellar structures. Singlet excited states are short lived, and these excited states do not move within the gel before their decay to the ground state. The techniques used for these studies were steady-state fluorescence and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopies. My results showed that there are different solubilization sites in F127 micelles and the accessibility of quenchers to the singlet excited molecules bound to the micellar structure depends on the nature of the quencher and the size of the excited molecules. In the second project, the different microenvironments in Pluronic P104 (PEO27PPO61PEO27) were characterized, and these results were compared with those obtained for the Pluronic F127. Pluronic P104 has similar units of PPO blocks as F127 but different units of PEO blocks which results in different properties between these two Pluronic copolymers. My results showed that the solubilization sites inside Pluronic micelles changes with the change in PEO/PPO ratio. In the third project, I studied the mobility of different small molecules between aqueous and micellar environments in the F127 hydrogel by quenching triplet excited state probes. Excited triplet states are suitable for such studies because their lifetimes are longer than the lifetimes for singlet excited states. The laser flash photolysis technique was used for this aim. The results showed that the exit from the micellar environment is slow and depend on the size and hydrophobicity of the probe molecules. / Graduate / 2022-05-11