Student: Martin Galley (SUNY Cortland)

Mentor: Michael Pravica

Raman Studies of 1.3.5.7 Cyclooctatetraene at High Pressure

We performed Raman spectroscopic studies of 1,3,5,7 cyclooctatetraene (COT) at elevated pressures, up to 11 GPa using a diamond anvil cell with the goal of confirming two previously-observed phase of the solid with pressure. After reaching 11 GPa the pressure was decreased to ascertain the reversibility of high pressure effects on COT. The Raman excitation source was the 647 nm line from a Krypton ion laser, and the spectrometer was a Triax 550 with CCD detector. A sample was left at a pressure of 11 GPa for one week, during which partial reaction or polymerization occurred. It is unclear whether or not COT aromatized at high pressure.