Inorganic chemistry

Dr. John Corrigan's research program is based on the development of molecular inorganic synthesis with a primary focus on the assembly of polynuclear, metal cluster complexes. The research program focuses on the design of reagents for the controlled assembly of clusters, which includes nanometer sized, semiconductor architectures with functionalized surfaces. The preparation of such well-defined (re: size, shape and composition) results in molecular architectures with size-dependent properties and potential applications in areas encompassing energy (e.g., photovoltaics), medicine (e.g., bio-labels) and catalysis. Research in our laboratory works within a continuum of molecule to cluster to nanomaterial.

Dr. Holger Kleinke's research focuses on finding and optimizing new thermoelectric materials. Thermoelectrics are capable of converting heat into electrical energy and vice versa. This environmentally friendly energy conversion currently has several applications, but is limited by its low efficiency. His research group is attempting to increase the efficiency so that thermoelectrics may be used to recover electricity from the nowadays abundant waste heat, e.g., in the exhaust of automobiles.

Dr. Sonny Lee's primary research area is directed toward understanding molecular aspects of biological nitrogen fixation. These studies have led to the development of synthetic chemistry associated with clusters of weak-field iron and anionic nitrogen ligation; the discovery within these clusters of iron centers with rare or unprecedented features, e.g., high-valent +4 oxidation states, 3-coordinate metal environments and terminal imide ligation; and the demonstration of physicochemical analogies that relate iron-nitrogen systems to biological iron-sulfur chemistry.

Using guided principles, Dr. Linda Nazar’s team synthesizes new materials, determines their structures and investigates their physical properties. She is, in particular, interested in ion and electron transport in materials as these properties are central to solid state electrochemistry and energy storage batteries. Her group is proficient in a range of methods and fields of investigation including X-ray and neutron diffraction, electrochemistry, ac impedance and solid state inorganic and nanomaterials synthesis.

Dr. Rodney Smith's research interests lie in the fabrication and characterization of solid-state materials that mediate the electrochemical synthesis of sustainable fuels. Rodney develops innovative fabrication techniques, examines the structure of materials, and studies reaction kinetics and dynamics in an effort to improve the efficiency and selectivity of reactions such as electrochemical CO2 reduction. The research is interdisciplinary in nature, involving materials synthesis and a diverse selection of spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques.