RUI - Supraoctahedral Rhenium and Molybdenum Clusters: N-Heterocyclic Carbenes and Exploration Into the Coordination of Fischer vs Schrock Carbenes

化学系化学合成（SYN）项目的这一奖项支持了丽莎F教授的一个项目。来自伊利诺伊州州立大学的Szczepura研究了与多金属系统（簇）键合的卡宾配体的化学，并提高了伊利诺伊州STEM学科中代表性不足的少数民族的参与。拟议的研究是至关重要的未来使用这些集群的应用，如催化。Szczepura教授和学生们将为这些含有稳定卡宾的簇开发新方法。 除了开发新的方法外，人们还对确定这些簇在产生新型发光材料中的影响感兴趣。 此外，Szczepura教授还将参与本科生和研究生的培训和指导，为校园内代表性不足的少数民族举办STEM博览会，并管理一个旨在提高代表性不足的学生在科学领域的成功率的计划。将开发用于制备六核硒化钼和含有N-杂环卡宾（NHC）配体的氯化钼簇的合成方法。 NHC对这些簇核心的物理性质和小分子活化的影响将是主要的兴趣。 该奖项还将允许探索隔离的suprahocahedral集群containingthe更具反应性的Fischer和Schrock卡宾的可行性。由于具有钼和钼核的团簇通常显示出有趣的物理性质，因此所提出的研究将使这些团簇能够适用于传感器和发光材料等应用。

This award in the Chemical Synthesis (SYN) program in the Division of Chemistry supports a project by Professor Lisa F. Szczepura from Illinois State University to examine the chemistry of carbene ligands bonded to multi-metal systems (clusters), and enhancing involvement of underrepresented minorities in STEM disciplines at Illinois State. The proposed studies are critical to the future use of these clusters in applications such as catalysis. Professor Szczepura and students will develop new methods for these clusters containing stabilizing carbenes. In addition to developing new methods, there is an interest in determining the impact of these clusters in yielding novel light-emitting materials. In addition, Professor Szczepura will engage in training and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, running a STEM fair for underrepresented minorities on campus, and administering a program aimed at improving the success rate of underrepresented students in the sciences.Synthetic methodologies will be developed for the preparation of hexanuclear rhenium selenide and molybdenum chloride clusters containing N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands. The impact the NHCs have on the physical properties and small molecule activation of these cluster cores will be of primary interest. This award will also allow for an exploration into the viability of isolating supraoctahedral clusters containingthe more reactive Fischer and Schrock carbenes. Since the clusters with molybdenum and rhenium cores typically display interesting photophysical properties, the proposed research will enable these clusters to be adapted for applications such as sensors and luminescent materials.