Supramolecular and Electrochemical Studies of Organometallics

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Dwight Sweigart, Brown University, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program for the synthesis and study of supramolecular coordination networks generated by the self-assembly of metallic and organometallic molecules. The networks will be based on pi-bonded quinone complexes of transition metals such as manganese, iron, and ruthenium. These networks are electrochemically active and feature a wide range of accessible designs and architectures. Initial goals include the synthesis of materials that incorporate large pores, nanotubes, and interdigitated pi-pi networks. This project also includes the stabilization and study of quinone methides, which are highly reactive molecules of enormous importance in the biosynthesis of melanin and lignin, the action of anti-tumor drugs, and the metabolic oxidation of food additives such as BHT. The stabilization of quinone methides will be attempted by pi-coordination to transition metals. The proposed quinonoid coordination networks and the stabilized quinone methides have potential applications in magnetics, sensing, catalysis, detoxification and drug delivery protocols. Students working on this project will gain broadly-based expertise in synthetic and spectroscopic methods, X-ray crystallography and in the application of electrochemical techniques to fundamental and technologically important chemical processes.