We are working in both organometallic and materials chemistry, and an interested student could choose a project in either area.

A specific REU organometallic chemistry project involves metal-containing heterocycles. Whereas conjugated organic polymers have been extensively studied, leading to many technologically important materials, related organometallic compounds have scarcely been studied. We are preparing heterocycles that can serve as monomers for new classes of redox-active conjugated polymers.  By replacing an arene ring with a η⁵-cyclopentadienyl transition metal center, we can introduce redox activity, color and other properties associated with metal centers.  In particular, we are developing routes to η⁵-metal complexes with cyclopenta[c]thienyl ligands such as the manganese complex shown here. Polymers incorporating these organometallic monomers are of long-term interest. During the NSF-REU program, a summer student would most likely either extend the thiation reaction (i) to new transition metal centers, or developing route ii by preparing a dihydrothiophene S-oxide precursor and treating it with a strong dehydrating agent.