Inorganic, Polymer and Materials Chemistry
B.S., Colorado State University (1982); Ph.D., Colorado State University (1985); Postdoctoral Associate, Northwestern University (1985-1988); Presidential Young Investigator (1989-1994); Hoechst Celanese Young Investigator (1993); Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship (1995-1997).
A major thrust for our group is in developing a molecular building-block approach to materials synthesis. This synthetic methodology allows the connection between the molecular properties and the materials properties to be explored. The general protocol involves the synthesis of building blocks (modules) and then using intermodule interactions to build higher-order structures.
Challenges are provided in developing methods of controlled assembly, by the characterization of the resultant multimodule assemblies, and by development of functions and uses for the molecular-based materials. Two specific projects underway involve preparation of transition metal complexes of block co-polymers that can be self-assembled into higher-order functional structures, and synthesis of functionalized transition metal clusters as building blocks to extended assemblies.
As a joint project with the DeSimone group, we are studying the dissolution of copper metal in condensed CO2, a process which has commercial implications in the microelectronics industry. This development will opens up the possibility of using environmentally benign solvents in the Chemical Mechanical Planarization process used in chip production.
The projects described above involve the synthesis of new compounds followed by characterization of their properties and structures by a variety of techniques, with an emphasis on electrochemical methods, multinuclear nmr spectroscopy, theoretical methods, and materials characterization techniques.