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

这份来自化学研究仪器和设施（CRIF）项目的合同将使波多黎各大学化学系能够购买具有紫外（UV）、可见（Vis）和近红外（NIR）能力的紫外/可见/近红外光谱电化学设备。该设备将主要由初级教员Raphael Raptis使用，他的研究重点是研究金属/硫簇的系统结构重排，特别是在冷冻溶液中电生成物种的稳定性和原位光谱表征。虽然自然界中各种金属团簇存在于蛋白质和矿物质的活性中心，但在实验室中，为了模拟蛋白质和催化剂表面，已经合成了大量的金属团簇分子。金属硫族化合物簇是这一领域的主要组成部分。尽管这一领域的研究活动非常活跃，金属硫属化合物簇的合成和一般簇的合成在很大程度上依赖于偶然的发现。这些研究将拓宽我们对这些重要金属团簇合成的认识。

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.