research

by division

inorganic division

Inorganic research at the University of Pittsburgh spans the entire periodic table from main group compounds to transition metals to lanthanides. The division currently comprises two faculty: Professors Meyer and Petoud. A search for a third member is currently underway.

Research in the division touches several key areas. Dr. Tara Meyer focuses on organometallic chemistry and the use of transition metal catalysts in the synthesis of polymers. Her group is currently exploring imine metathesis, the catalytic diamination of olefins and the synthesis of conducting polymers. Luminescent lanthanides are the central theme of Dr. Stéphane Petoud’s research. He and his students will be preparing luminescent probes and sensors for applications in biology, biotechnology, medical diagnostics and imaging, and luminescent materials (solid state and liquid crystal) for the development of a new generation of self-luminescent alphanumerical color displays.

The extensive facilities at the University of Pittsburgh facilitate inorganic research. In addition to routine characterization equipment such as NMR, IR, mass spectrometry and UV-Vis instruments, we have recently acquired a CCD-equipped diffractometer for X-ray structure acquisition. Using this new system, the data collection time is reduced to hours instead of days. Inorganic chemistry, which depends heavily on structural characterization, will benefit immensely from this equipment.

Research in the 21^st century is highly interdisciplinary. As such, there are several faculty who, although they are technically in another division, undertake projects with inorganic themes. In this vein, several organic chemists at the University of Pittsburgh develop transition metal catalyzed methodologies for the synthesis of organic targets. Dr. Kay Brummond researches the use of transition metals as catalysts for organic transformations such as the allenic Pauson-Khand reaction. Dr. Cohen is developing Ti-Al Ziegler-Natta type catalysts capable of causing cyclopolymerization of butadienes to ladder polymers rather than the usual linear polymerization to latexes. Dr. Scott Nelson designs unique group 13 metal-based catalysts and works to integrate unique architectural and electronic properties into late transition metal complexes that effect facile oxidative addition across C-H s-bonds. Dr. Peter Wipf investigates applications of organozirconocenes in synthetic methodology, in particular the transmetalation of zirconocenes to zinc complexes and the use of cationic zirconocenes as reagents and catalysts for stereoselective C,C-bond formations. Inorganic chemistry is also a part of some physical chemistry research programs. Dr. Eric Borguet develops novel dielectric layers for inorganic semiconductors allowing nanometer thin layer structures without the detrimental quantum mechanical tunneling effects that are observed for the commonly used SiO₂ on Si. The Jordan group is involved in theoretical studies of chemical reactions on semiconductor and metal surfaces as well as of water-host interactions.