Linear Heterotrimetallic Coordination Compounds: Metal Atom Core and Axial Site Manipulation

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In this project, funded by the Chemical Synthesis program of the Chemistry Division, Professor John F. Berry of the University of Wisconsin - Madison is studying metal compounds that feature a linear chain of three metal atoms supported by nitrogen- or oxygen-donor groups (ligands). Compounds with chains of metal atoms find applications in in biological and synthetic catalysis, materials chemistry, energy conversion, molecular magnetism, and single-molecule conductance. The project develops the preparation of compounds that have never before been prepared and thus their reactivity is unknown. The three atom units can be envisaged to possess important magnetic and electrical properties. Professor Berry is strongly committed to communicating science to the general public through several major outlets. Professor Berry is a Fellow of the Wisconsin Initiative for Science Literacy (WISL) and has been involved in many WISL events. He and his group participate in "Concert at Chemistry" presenting musical compositions to the general public, and commenting on the strong connections between science and the arts. Professor Berry has also participated in "Conversations in Chemistry", a televised public lecture for an audience of K?12 science teachers in which the topic was the connections between chemistry, music composition and the arts. The Berry lab is also involved in outreach programs at the graduate, college, and high school levels that engage underrepresented minority students. At the graduate and college level, Berry is an active participant in the Chemistry Opportunities (CHOPS) program. CHOPS brings 20 highly qualified undergraduates to campus in which they are exposed to the graduate school experience by being paired up with graduate student hosts. These students typically come from underrepresented backgrounds. The project involves planned, hypothesis-driven, systematic synthetic, physical, and spectroscopic studies that give insights into important structure/property relationships in heterotrimetallic compounds that contain a metal-metal multiply bonded unit and a third metal from the f-, late d-, or main group elements. In particular, the project focuses on: (1) redox chemistry, (2) magnetic behavior, and (3) electron transport properties. The methodologies include organic synthesis, high-temperature synthetic techniques, manipulation of air sensitive compounds, spectroscopic and electrochemical characterization methods, and the use of density function theory to model electronic structure. This project offers excellent training for the graduate students and undergraduates who work on this project. This training and learning is intimately integrated with discovery of novel compounds and exploration of their properties. This project provides excellent training for the graduate students and undergraduates who learning a multitude of synthetic, characterization, and computational techniques.