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Biomedical subjects

David A Walthall

Publications and source records attributed to David A Walthall.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Enolate structure and electron affinity.

Photodetachment cross sections for a series of cyclic enolates were measured using a continuous wave (CW) ion cyclotron resonance instrument to generate and detect the ions. We report electron affinities for the radicals corresponding to the removal of the extra electron from the following anions: 2-methylcyclopent-1-enolate, 3-methylcyclopent-1-enolate, 4-methylcyclopent-1-enolate, 5-methylcyclopent-1-enolate, 2-methylcyclohex-1-enolate, 3-methylcyclohex-1-enolate, 4-methylcyclohex-1-enolate, 4-ethylcyclohex-1-enolate, 5-methylcyclohex-1-enolate, and 6-methylcyclohex-1-enolate. Some of these anions are mixed with their tautomers, derived from deprotonation of the parent ketone; the consequences of this are analyzed. The effect of alkylation on the electron affinities is discussed. The effect of vibrational modes on the lifetimes of the dipole-bound states of 4-methylcyclohex-1-enolate and 4-ethylcyclohex-1-enolate is discussed.

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Molecular rotations and dipole-bound state lifetimes.

A computational model based on classical molecular rotation provides insight into the observability of dipole-bound states. The observability is related to the lifetime of the state prior to rotational autodetachment of the electron. The model tracks an ensemble of dipole-bound states. Their motion in space is integrated as a function of time, which provides a means to analyze the lifetimes of the dipole-bound states. The results are generally in good agreement with experimental data. Some exceptions show the limitations of the model but also provide insight into the autodetachment mechanism.

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Acidities in cyclohexanediols enhanced by intramolecular hydrogen bonds.

Equilibrium gas-phase acidities of the six isomeric cyclohexanediols were measured in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. Although all six cyclohexanediols have the same functional groups and similar structures, the acidities vary over 11 kcal/mol. This large difference is due mostly to the balance between hydrogen bonding and geometric strain. To understand the origins of the acidity differences in more detail, the conformations and energetics of the cyclohexanediols were studied using density functional theory, which gave good agreement with the experimental acidities. Finally, methanol-methoxide and methanol-methanol interactions were used as a model for the hydrogen bonding.

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