Molecular, Cluster, and Solid State Lanthanide Compounds With Electropositive Ligands

Rutgers University New Brunswick, New Brunswick NJ

Investigators

Abstract

This award by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports research by Dr. John G. Brennan, Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University to undertake a comprehensive investigation into the synthesis and characterization of lanthanide (Ln) molecules, clusters, and solid-state materials with direct bonds to the more electropositive chalcogens ( E = S, Se, Te). Relationships between the physical properties of molecules, clusters, and solids will be determined, with an emphasis placed on understanding how properties evolve as a function of system dimensionality. Synthetic methods leading to facile interconversion of molecular, cluster, and solid-state materials will be developed. These compounds are of interest as chemical reagents because the Ln-Te(R) bond is so readily disrupted. A second area to be developed is the synthesis of Ln compounds with particularly useful selenium-containing leaving groups, which also impart toluene solubility that is useful in cluster chemistry. Finally, volatile Ln compounds with selenium ligands are also targeted. These studies are designed to provide an understanding of how the chemical and physical properties of Ln compounds evolve as a function of particle size. This multidisciplinary project will provide undergraduate and graduate students with a broad exposure to materials synthesis and characterization techniques and requires students to consider both practical and intellectual contributions to experimental design. This research impacts on organic chemistry by providing a totally new class of potential Lewis acid catalysts, reducing agents, or polymerization initiators. The proposed compounds are also useful sources for doping Ln ions into chalcogenido semiconductors or glasses, which have important implications in the manufacture of flat panel displays and optical fibers. The chemistry can also be developed as a low temperature (and thus low cost) approach to environmentally acceptable red-orange pigments that reduce the demand for Cd/Hg based materials.