IAN GOULD

President's Professor
Ph.D., University of Manchester, U.K., 1980

  Office: D-109  Lab: D-126
  Phone: (480)965-7278  Lab Phone: (480)965-2889
  Fax: (480) 965-2747
  Email: igould@asu.edu

 IAN GOULD's Lab Website

Research and Teaching Interests

In our lab we study various aspects of mechanistic organic and biochemistry, using the tools of photochemistry. We both study chemical reactions and use photophysical techniques to study processes that are difficult to investigate in other ways.

One main area of research involves studies of bond fragmentation reactions that are initiated by either giving (reduction) or taking away (oxidation) a single electron. Such processes generate radicals and Lewis acids and Lewis bases, which may also be Bronsted acids and bases, all potentially useful catalytic species. We are currently studying extremely fast fragmentation reactions with the goal of developing reactions that occur with no barrier at all! We are also using these reactions as test cases for fundamental reaction rate theories and contemporary computational methods.

Another area relates to the oxidative processes in DNA responsible for mutation, disease and aging. Novel photochemical reactions developed in our lab can be used to irreversibly oxidize the purine bases in DNA. We are currently studying the chemistry and physical properties of these species in order to understand the primary events involved in oxidative damage.

Representative Publications

"Density Functional Theory Accurately Predicts the Barriers for a Radical Reaction in Solution," E.D. Lorance, K. Hendrickson and I.R. Gould, J. Org. Chem 70, 2014-2020 (2005).

"A Curve-Crossing Model Accurately Describes a Radical Reaction," E.D. Lorance and I.R. Gould, J. Phys. Chem. A. 109, 2912 (2005).

"Efficient Unimolecular Deprotonation of Aniline Radical Cations," G. Dombrowski, J.P. Dinnocenzo, P. Zielinski S. Farid, Z. Wosinska and I.R. Gould, J. Org. Chem. 70, 3791 (2005).

"Barrierless Electron Transfer Bond Fragmentation Reactions ," E.D. Lorance, W.H. Kramer and I.R. Gould, J. Am. Chem. Soc 126, 14071 (2004).

"A Qualitative Curve-Crossing Model Describes the Kinetics of Oxidative Decarboxylation," I.R. Gould and S. Farid, J. Phys. Chem A 108, 10949 (2004).

"A Novel Solid-State Photooxidant," T.L. Morkin, N.J. Turro, M.H. Kleinman, C.S. Brindle, K. Griffiths, W.H. Kramer and I.R. Gould, J. Am. Chem. Soc 125, 14917 (2003).

"Kinetics of Reductive N-O Bond Fragmentation: The Role of a Conical Intersection," E.D. Lorance, W.H. Kramer, I.R. Gould, J. Am. Chem. Soc 124, 15225 (2002).