MRI: Acquisition of an X-ray Diffractometer Equipped with a CCD Detector

Cuny Hunter College, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

With support from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, the Department of Chemistry at City University of New York/Hunter College will acquire a X-ray diffractometer with CCD detector for small molecule diffractometry. This equipment will enhance research in a number of areas including the following: a) self-assembly of nano-scaled, solid-state photonic materials; b) lanthanide polyoxometalates: building blocks for new materials; c) polyoxometalate anions and metalloenzyme mimics; d) redox-mediated chiroptical materials; e) synthetic carbohydrate chemistry; f) chiral phosphorus ligands and antisense oligonucleotides; g) complexes formed by bile acids, cholesterol and other steroids with cyclodextrin derivatives and synthetic receptors; h) quantum crystallography of molecules; and i) study of geometry and electronic environment of metal sites by solid state NMR and X-ray crystallography. The X-ray diffractometer allows accurate and precise measurements of the full three dimensional structure of a molecule, including bond distances and angles, and it provides accurate information about the spatial arrangement of the molecule relative to the neighboring molecules. These studies will have an impact in a number of areas, including materials chemistry and biochemistry.