Our research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of new organometallic compounds that are used in catalysis, organometallic polymers, and optoelectronic materials. We do synthesis in a vacuum chamber, where a metal sample is vaporized with a laser, and the vaporized metal atoms or clusters then react with organic molecules to form metal compounds. Our characterization techniques include mass spectrometry, photoelectron and infrared spectroscopy, and computational modeling. We use mass spectrometry to determine molecular masses and product abundance, photoelectron spectroscopy to measure precise ionization energies and metal-ligand vibrational frequencies, and infrared spectroscopy to probe ligand vibrations. We then combine the

spectroscopic measurements with computations to determine molecular structures. Very often, a single metal compound can have multiple structural isomers. We are able to distinguish these isomers, determine their relative stability, and select the most stable ones for detailed investigations.
In the summer of 2007, REU students will work on the synthesis and characterization of early transition metal compounds of aromatic hydrocarbons or nitrogen-containing heterocyclic aromatics. These REU students will participate in the experimental design and operation, data analysis, and research discussion in group meetings.
Our group has a long history of working with undergraduate students. Over the past years, all of our undergraduates, in collaboration with the professor, postdoctoral scientists, or experienced Ph.D students, have been able to produce sufficiently high-quality results for one or more research publications or conference presentations.

Further details of Dr. Yang's work are given on the Chemistry website.