Inorganic Materials Chemistry

Our research group intends to make a stong contribution to the fields of inorganic chemistry, nanoscale science and technology, and materials science. With this aim, standard Schlenk and glovebox techniques are employed to synthesize a variety of low-coordinate air and moisture sensi tive inorganic precursors. Characterization methods include multinuclear NMR, X-ray crystallography, FT-IR and UV/VIS spectroscopy, TGA/DTA, SEM, TEM and X-ray powder diffraction.

The Design of Metal-Organic Complexes Utilizing a Synergistic Approach

In a number of metalloproteins hydrogen bonding (5 to 15 kcal/mol) is used in conjunction with metal-ligand covalent bonds to control activity within biomolecules. A current research challenge in synthetic inorganic chemistry is the incorporation of these types of interactions into well-defined metal compounds with the intension of developing enhanced catalytic and stoichiometric reactivity. Conversely, difficulties arise in synthetic systems because their structures are often flexible, so H-bonds form with various other species present, such as solvent molecules or counterions. These intermolecular hydrogen bonds are often unwanted and interfere with the desired function. Therefore, as in metalloproteins, synthetic complexes must have a combination of ligands placed within rigid frameworks located near the metal center(s) to ensure stable complex formation. Our research group utilizes a combination of novel set of ligands in conjunction with a vast array of metals throughout the Periodic Table to produce well designed multi-functional inorganic/organic hybrid systems. Students working in this area frequently expand beyond the reaches of classical chemistry subjects and embrace additional areas, as required, for the successful execution of a specific project. Standard Schlenk and glovebox techniques are employed to synthesize a variety of low-coordinate air and moisture sensitive inorganic complexes. Characterization methods include multinuclear NMR, X-ray crystallography, FT-IR and UV/vis spectroscopy, TGA/DTA, SEM, TEM, and X-ray powder diffraction. Such a combination of skills results in a fertile and creative environment for achievement of research goals

Gold Chemistry

In today’s society, gold chemistry currently has an important role in fields such as electronics and medicine. However, there is still a current lack of understanding in the fundamental reaction chemistry of gold. The development of gold (I) chemistry is dominated by the viewpoint that gold is a prototypical soft Lewis acid, which forms its most stable complexes with soft Lewis bases. Accordingly, the synthesis of gold (I) complexes with hard Lewis bases such as oxygen, nitrogen, or carbon has been limited to a select number of examples. Such complexes have been described as intrinsically unstable, and therefore have a pronounced tendency to either decompose to gold metal or aggregate into ill-defined clusters. Similar problems, although to a lesser extent, have been described for copper and silver. This instability has historically been described as a limitation to the development of gold chemistry. However, a few recent reports have hinted that a much richer field of coordination chemistry might be accessible. Therefore, in order to contribute to the understanding of this important metal, it is the goal of our research group to investigate the chemistry of previously “inaccessible” gold (I) alkyls, amides and alkoxides. These novel complexes will be isolated as crystalline solids and characterized via solution and solid-state NMR, X-ray crystallography, FT-IR and UV/VIS spectroscopy. Throughout this investigation, the stability and reaction chemistry of these complexes will be investigated. It is the intention of our research to generate a large family of complexes in order to gain a true appreciation for the intrinsic stability of gold complexes.

Self-Assembly of Inorganic Nanocrystals

It is envisioned that working on nanoscale materials will lead to unprecedented advances in electronics, biotechnology, national security and other fields. To achieve this progress, one of our initial goals is attaining a fundamental scientific understanding of nanoscale phenomena, particularly collective phenomena.

In support of this goal our research proposes a rational and convenient method to construct and examine the properties of hybrid, self-assembled inorganic/organic nanostructures is being explored. A variety of individuals (from 1st year undergraduate students to experienced post doctoral fellows) will contribute to this project while gaining both training and education in nanotechnology. This is a fundamental tenant of the nation’s nanotechnology initiative.

Updated 2.27.05