---

Physical Chemistry: Collision-induced far infrared and microwave spectroscopy; structure of small ring molecules; van der Waals complexes of four-membered ring molecules; water chemistry.

---

Our group uses molecular spectroscopy to investigate structure, forces and interactions between small molecules. The goal is to understand the factors contributing to the structure and chemistry of these molecules and larger systems which contain the small components. The interactions of small, non-polar gas phase molecules during collisions leads to induced dipole moments which can be observed with IR spectroscopy at high pressure. We have shown that the multiple expansion explanation for the interaction of molecules in the gas phase is seriously deficient for molecules larger than methane. We are continuing to investigate this breakdown of the multiple expansion.

We are using small ring molecules as probes to investigate guest-host and molecule-surface interactions via far infrared spectroscopy. Also, effect on energy levels due to chemical substitution of small ring molecules is creating an understanding of the quantitative factors leading to conformations (planarity) of ring systems.

We are also studying the chemical reactions associated with ozonolysis/UV irradiation of trace organic molecules in water with GC, LC, Mass Spec, UV, and IR spectroscopies. Transport of metals and metal-ligand complexes through soils are also studied.

---

Selected Publications

• Lafferty, W.J.,  Maki, A, Pringle, W.C. and Mills, I., “Comment on ‘Two rotational lines in Allene’,” J. Chem. Phys., 50, 564 (1969).
• Lord, R.C. and Pringle, W.C., “Search for Pure Rotational Infrared Absorption in Allene, “J. Chem. Phys., 50, 565 (1969).
• Pringle, W.C., “Microwave Spectrum, Vibration-Rotation Interaction and Ring-Puckering Vibration in Silacyclobutane and Silacyclobutane-1,1-d₂,” J. Chem. Phys. 54, 5979 (1971).
• Birge, R.B., Pringle, W.C. and Leermakers, P.A., “The Excited State Geometries of Singly Substituted Methyl Propenals, I. Vibration-Electronic Analysis of S₁(Nπ-*),” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 93, 6715 (1971).
• Pringle, W.C. and Meinzer, A.L., “Potential Functions for the Ring-Puckering Vibrations of B₂H₆ and B₂D₆,” J. Chem. Phys., 57, 2920 (1972).
• Gaylord, A.S. and Pringle, W.C., “Ring-Puckering Vibrations in µ-Aminodiboranes,” J. Chem. Phys., 59, 4674 (1973).
• Pringle, W.C. and Meinzer, A.L.,  ”The Effect of Fluorine Substitution on Ring-Puckering Potential: The Infrared Ring-Puckering Vibration of 3,3-difluoro-oxetane,” J. Chem. Phys., 61, 2071 (1974).
• Pringle, W.C., Appeloff, C.J. and  Jordan, C.J.,  ”Ring-Puckering Vibration in µ-Mercap- tiodiborane and 1-Deutero-µ-mercaptodiborane,” J. Mol. Spect., 55, 351 (1975).
• Meinzer, A.L. and Pringle, W.C., “The Effect of Carbonyl Substitution on the Barrier to Planarity in Cyclobutanes,” J. Phys. Chem., 80, 1178 (1976).
• Harris, W.C.,  Coe, D.A.,  Pringle, W.C. and Snow, J.K., “Matrix Isolation Studies and Potential Function for Perfluorocyclobutane,” J. Mol. Spect., 62, 149 (1976).
• Pringle, W.C., S. M. Jacobs and D. Rosenblatt, “Collisionally-Induced Rotational Spectrum of Allene,” Mol. Phys., 50, 205 (1983).
• Cohen, R. and Pringle, W.C., “Analysis of the Collision Induced Far-Infrared Spectrum of Ethane,” Spectrochimica Acta, 42A, 291 (1986).
• Pringle, W.C., R. Cohen and S. M. Jacobs, “Analysis of Collision Induced Far Infrared Spectrum of Ethylene,” Mol. Phys., 62, 661 (1987).
• Pringle, W.C. W. R. Gronlund and R. C. Cohen, “Collision Induced Far Infrared Spectrum of Cyclopropane,” Mol. Phys., 62, 669 (1987).
• Munrow, M.R.,  Pringle, M.R. and Novick, S.E., “Determination of the Structure of the Argon Cyclobutanone van der Waals Complex.“, J. Phys. Chem., 103, 2256 (1999).
• Subramanian, R., Szarko, J.M., Pringle, W.C. and Novick, S.E,  Rotational spectrum, nuclear quadrupole coupling constants, and structure of six isotopomers of the argon chlorocyclobutane van der Waals complex, J. Mol. Struct. 742, 165 (2005).
• Keske, J.C., Lin, w.,  Pringle, W.C., Novick, S.E,  Blake, T.A, .Plusquellic, D.F.  “High resolution studies of tropolone in the S₀ and S₁ electronic states: Isotope driven dynamics in the zero-point energy levels”, J. Chem. Phys. 124, 074309 (2006).
• Wei, L., Gayle, J.A., Pringle, W.C. and  Novick, S.E., “Determination of the structures of methylene cyclobutane and the argon methylene cyclobutane van der Waals complex.”,   J. Mol. Spectrosc. 250, 250 (2008).
• Lin, W., Ganguly, A.,  Minei, A. J.,  Lindeke, G. L.,  Pringle, P. C.,  Novick, S. E.,  Durig, J.R, “Microwave spectra and structural parameters of equatorial-trans cyclobutanol”,  J. Mol. Struct. 922, 83-87 (2009).
• Lin, W., Pringle, W. C., Novick S. E., Blake, T. A. ” Microwave spectrum and structure of argon-tropolone van der Waals comple” J. Phys. Chem A., 10.1021/JP901086a (2009).
• Minei, A. J., Wijngaarden, J. v., Novick, S. E., and Pringle, W. C. “Determination of the structure of cyclopentene oxide and the argon-cyclopentene oxide van der Waals complex, J. Phys. Chem. in press

---

Education

B.A. 1963 Middlebury College
Ph.D. 1966 Massachusetts Institute of Technology