I toil desperately in support of reduced power: doing the right thing? (9)
I believe the answer is:
punctilio
'right thing?' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both acts as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'i toil desperately in support of reduced power doing' is the wordplay.
'desperately' indicates anagramming the letters.
'in support of' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other) (in a down clue, some letters hold others up).
'reduced power' becomes 'p' (symbol in physics; 'reduced' asks for a short form).
'doing' becomes 'unc' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'i'+'toil'='itoil'
'itoil' anagrammed gives 'tilio'.
'p'+'unc'='punc'
'tilio' put after 'punc' is 'PUNCTILIO'.
'the' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for punctilio that I've seen before include "what strict etiquette demands" , "Observance of etiquette" , "Ceremonious points of etiquette" , "scrupulous ceremony" , "Fine point" .)