Introduction

Physical organic chemistry (POC) is field that has developed rapidly over the past two decades. Reaction kinetics and reaction mechanisms still lie at the core of physical organic chemistry, but the boundaries of POC now stretch far beyond. 

This discussion sought to explore frontiers in two senses: 

• Cutting edge research in core areas of POC 
• The boundaries where POC concepts have an impact on other disciplines  

Faraday Discussion 145 brought together the physical chemists / chemical physicists with their organic counterparts not only in solution-phase reactive chemistry, but also in the booming area of non-covalent interactions and in reactions and recognition at interfaces.

Themes

• Organic reaction mechanisms, including synthetic and natural (enzymes, ribozymes) catalysts
• Theoretical methods (ab initio and computer simulation)
• Non-covalently bonded structures (intermolecular interactions, supramolecular chemistry, molecular recognition, surfactant aggregation, polymer-surfactant complexes, liquid crystals, self-assembly)
• Organic surfaces (structure, properties and reactivity)
• Gas phase structure and reactivity and its relationship to solution behaviour
• Ultrafast processes: solvation, charge transfer, electron transfer

Scientific Committee

Professor Colin Bain (University of Durham, UK) (Chair)

Professor Barry Carpenter (Cardiff University, UK)

Professor Dr Peter Chen (ETH Zürich, Switzerland)

Professor Chris A Hunter (University of Sheffield, UK)

Professor Jay S Siegel (Universität Zürich, Switzerland)

Professor Ian H Williams (University of Bath, UK)

Sponsors

We would like to thank the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Syngenta for their generous sponsorship support of this meeting.