J. Michael McBride

**Research** In much of traditional organic chemistry, experiment involves molecules in solution, and theory involves isolated molecules in the gas phase. Most organic substances in our daily lives, however, whether natural or synthetic, are solids. These range from pharmaceuticals to rocket fuels, from clothing to antibody-antigen complexes, from kidney stones to photoresists. Our research uses physical-organic chemistry to understand and control the chemical reactivity and physical properties of organic solids. Research. We study single crystals. Because the molecules in a crystal have identical conformations, environments, and orientations, their chemical and physical behavior is extraordinarily uniform. Furthermore, powerful techniques are available for determining and interpreting the detailed behavior of molecules in single crystals. Beyond the standard organic techniques for preparing and analyzing samples we have relied heavily on x-ray diffraction, low-temperature ESR and FT