Date of Award

1990

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Chemistry

First Advisor

Neil R. Kestner

Abstract

Spectra in different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum were taken at different temperatures for benzaldehyde vapor. A review of the literature revealed that the existing data could not be interpreted by this model. Possible perturbations were reviewed. Potential models based on these perturbations were proposed. Calculations were carried out to test the interpretation. No disagreement between experimental and computational findings resulted. The models proposed contradicted no existing experimental determination of the ground state of vapor phase benzaldehyde. It was determined that electron and neutron diffraction experiments were necessary to determine the ground state structure of benzaldehyde. If the results show that benzaldehyde is nonplanar, additional experiments in the far infrared were suggested to estimate the energy differences between local minima. The mirror cytopathic effect reported by Kaznacheev was investigated to ascertain if light was emitted from chick embryo fibroblast tissue cultures after ultraviolet light radiation. The claim that these cells emit light after being irradiated by ultraviolet light was substantiated to our satisfaction. The mirror cytopathic effect was not. Other mechanisms for cell death in the cell colonies needs further investigation before Kaznacheev's claim can be accepted.

Pages

184

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_disstheses.5096

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