Dr. Francois P Gabbai, Chemistry Department, Texas A&M University, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Chemistry Program to explore the synthesis of cationic boranes, their electrochemistry and their reduction into neutral radicals. More specifically, monofunctional and bifunctional cationic boranes featuring pyridinium, acridinium, ammonium, phosphonium and sulfonium moieties will be prepared. These compounds with be reduced to determine if the cationic character of the boranes serves to decrease their reduction potential and increase the stability of the resulting radicals. Unusual unusual bonding motifs including one-electron boron-boron sigma and pi bonds will be investigated both experimentally and theoretically. These studies should reveal how the cationic nature of the boranes influences their oxidative power.
This research will advance the fundamental understanding of the bonding of the main group elements. The compounds produced in this study will be strong oxidants and applications in the oxidation of organic compounds are anticipated. Graduate students, undergraduate students and postdoctoral associates will receive excellent training and research experiences in forefront synthetic inorganic chemistry.
