Ithaca College

Assistant professor of chemistry Vincent DeTuri was awarded a research grant from the American Chemical Society (ACS) Petroleum Research Fund for $55,000 to support student-faculty research.

This project, "Carbanion Intermediates in Proton-Transfer Reactions between Carbon Acids and Alkoxides," investigates the formation and reactivity of carbanion intermediates in protic solvents. The reactions investigated generate a carbanion intermediate by proton transfer to alkoxide in alcohol. The formation of a carbanion is monitered by isotope exchange with the solvent. In a mixed solvent system, the rate of exchange is greatly enhanced; this research aims to investigate the role of solvents on the stability of carbanion intermediates or the rates of reaction to generate carbanion intermediates.