CAREER: Octahedral Hexanuclear Clusters: Fundamental Studies and Inquiry Into Potential Applications

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This CAREER award by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports research by Dr. Lisa Szczepura at Illinois State University on fundamental studies of hexanuclear octahedral molybdenum cluster complexes. The studies are aimed at probing two fundamentally important reactions of these complexes, ligand substitution and reduction-oxidation. An understanding the redox chemistry of the proposed aqua cluster complexes is likely to lead to the discovery of novel oxidants. In addition, the ability to predict substitution trends and generate linked hexanuclear cluster complexes together will enable the preparation of new solids based on the hexanuclear molybdenum unit with rigid spacer units which should provide room for molecules or ions to intercalate and deintercalate. Overall, these data are crucial to the future use of these cluster complexes in applications such as catalysis and materials chemistry. The educational component of this project involves the training and mentoring of women and underrepresented minorities. The PI proposes to run enrichment workshops that parallel the general chemistry sequence; these workshops will be available to students who are members of the Illinois Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (ILSAMP). Students from underrepresented groups will be recruited from these workshops as well as from other classes to conduct undergraduate research in the PI's laboratory. By providing financial support to graduate and undergraduate students, the PI hopes to provide an environment where learning and mentoring are at the forefront. Increasing the number of chemistry graduates from such underrepresented groups is crucial to increasing diversity in the field of chemistry and in generating a workforce that is capable of solving the complex scientific problems facing society.