Purchase of UV/Vis/NIR-Spectroelectrochemistry Apparatus for the Study of Metal/Sulfur Clusters

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This award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) Program will enable the Department of Chemistry at the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras to purchase UV/Vis/NIR spectroelectrochemistry apparatus with ultraviolet (UV), visible (Vis) and near infrared (NIR) capabilities. This equipment will be used primarily by junior faculty member Raphael Raptis, whose research focuses on the investigation of systematic structural rearrangements of metal/sulfur clusters, specifically the stabilization of electrogenerated species in chilled solution and in situ spectroscopic characterization. While various metal clusters occur in nature in the active centers of proteins and in minerals, a much larger number of cluster molecules have been synthesized in the laboratory in efforts to model proteins and catalyst surfaces. Metal-chalcogenide clusters make up a major part of this field. In spite of the intense research activity in this area, the synthesis of metal-chalcogenide clusters and clusters in general, has relied heavily on serendipitous discoveries. These studies will broaden our understanding of the synthesis of these important metal clusters.