Diatomic chemistry of low coordination metal complexes

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Very small molecules common in interstellar space are often unstable and very reactive. For example, the compound that contains a phosphorus atom (P) bonded to a single nitrogen atom (N) was the first phosphorus compound to be detected in space, but this molecule has only fleeting existence on earth because it easily reacts with other molecules. Nonetheless, this P-N species has been proposed as a starting materials for electronic and magnetic materials. Because these molecules are so simple, but so reactive, a very important research topic is focused on how to prepare and stabilize them. In this project, funded by the Chemical Synthesis Program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Jeremy Smith of the Department of Chemistry at Indiana University, is developing a new strategy to make a variety of simple, yet highly reactive molecules. The strategy involves individually attaching two atoms (P and N) to two different metals. These species are then brought into contact and the P and N then to bind each other, while being stabilized by the metals. In addition to training students for entry into the technological workforce, the team develops materials to assist teachers and the general public in reading and interpreting scientific research. In this project a combination of synthetic, spectroscopic and computational methods are used to assemble and characterize diatomic molecules as ligands in transition metal complexes. The modular nature of the building block strategy allows a range of diatomic molecules to be accessed, with the resulting compounds displaying unusual magnetic and reactivity properties. In collaboration with the Indiana University College of Arts and Science Office of Science Outreach, publications resulting from the research are deconstructed to assist teachers and the general public to understand and interpret the concepts, assumptions, and methods of scientific papers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.