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We
study structures and dynamics
of building blocks of organometallic and supramolecular networks. The long-term outcome of our research is a
quantitative understanding of how metal centers activate organic molecules
and mediate chemical reactions. The
research has an impact in catalysis, materials synthesis, and environmental
and biological technologies. We use laser vaporization supersonic expansions to produce super-cold molecules, mass spectrometry to measure the mass distribution of reaction products, laser spectroscopy to determine electronic-vibrational and, in some cases, rotational energy levels. We use ab initio and conformational sampling methods to narrow the search for new molecules and new spectra and to help interpretation of experimental spectra. The combination of the experimental and theoretical methods determines electronic states and molecular structures. Current
research projects include (1)
transition metal-aromatic hydrocarbons, (2) metal-heterocycles, (3) metal-polyamines, (4)
metal-DNA/RNA bases, and (5) thin films of metal nitrides and oxides. The
most significant results from
our research activities are the successful applications of pulsed field
ionization-zero electron kinetic energy (PFI-ZEKE) photoelectron spectroscopy
to metal clusters and complexes. The PFI-ZEKE technique offers spectral
resolution superior to conventional photoelectron spectroscopy and provides
the ability to study molecular systems more akin to condensed-phase inorganic
and organometallic chemistry. The
field is wide open, and we are well positioned as a major player. For the first time, we are able to do
gas-phase laser electronic-vibrational spectroscopy in a systematic way that
varies the ligands or metal elements, much as our synthetic colleagues do
inorganic reactions.
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