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Experiments and computations have been carried out on a wide variety of polyols and polyamines.

The gas phase acidities of a triol [(HOCH₂CH₂)₂CHOH] and a tetraol [(HOCH₂CH₂)₃COH] were measured and computed.  The pKa’s of these compound along with 1,3-propanediol were determined in dimethylsulfoxide.  Multiple hydrogen bonds to a single charged center were found to stabilize the ion and lead to enhanced acidities.

The reactivity of these polyols were also explored in condensed media.  The mechanism of the hydrolysis of the trimethylsilyl enol ether of α-methyltetralone with d/l and meso-CF₃CH(OH)CH₂CH(OH)CF₃  as well as acetic acid was studied.  Depending upon the acid which was employed, protonation or attack of the nucleophile on the protonated starting material was found to be the rate determining step.