This research seeks to develop compounds for use in exploring mechanisms of Energy Transfer. Energy Transfer is involved in every chemical reaction but is especially important in some molecular electronics and materials. The two currently accepted mechanisms of Energy Transfer are ballistic and diffusive.  The diffusive mechanism employs Brownian-like energy exchange steps and has been observed in biological molecules such as peptides and smaller structures like helices. The ballistic mechanism involves free propagation of the vibrational wave packet and was recently found to be the dominant mechanism in energy transfer between azide and succinimidyl ester groups on opposite ends of a previously examined alkane chain.<br/> <br/>This project expands on the afore-mentioned project by attaching the same signaling functional groups to the guanosine and cytidine nucleobase pair to determine possible effects hydrogen bonding has in determining the mechanism and if interference of the hydrogen bonds effects the kinetics of the Energy Transfer mechanism. The primary focus of this specific project is to optimize yields for attachment of one of the signaling groups, the succinimidyl ester to cytidine and guanosine via palladium cross-coupling reactions. The specific reactions of interest utilize Heck and Sonogashira cross coupling to minimize similarities between the species studied in previous research. After syntheses of the targeted azido and succinimidyl ester nucleobase pairs are complete, energy transfer modulation using IR pulsation will be conducted.<br/>

Synthesis of energy transfer systems utilizing guanosine and cytidine base pairing

255th National Meeting (2018)

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