Research Interests: Metal Cluster Chemistry, Organometallic Synthesis, Catalysis,
X-
We are interested in designing and exploring the chemistry of transition metal complexes
containing sterically encumbered ligands derived from main group elements. The transition
metals of interest are those belonging to the Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu triads. Our
work will make available new unsaturated heteronuclear complexes for the purpose
of hydrogen and small molecule activation, and homogeneous catalysis. Transition
metal complexes have and always will play the crucial part in the chemistry of hydrogen,
and catalytic hydrogenations. Our work will also shed light on the mechanistic pathways
of hydrogen/small molecule addition and elimination. We are also interested in using
our metal cluster complexes as molecular precursors to heterogeneous catalysts and
potential industrial catalysts. Students will learn synthetic organometallic chemistry,
and will use various methods such as single crystal X-
