With support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities - Multiuser Instrument Acquisition (CRIF-MU) Program, the Department of Chemistry at the College of William and Mary will acquire an X-ray diffractometer with dual single crystal and powder diffraction capabilities. This equipment will enhance research in a number of areas including studies on a) the study of transition metal network catalysts formed from bridging ligands; b) toxicologically relevant complexes of Hg, Cd, and Pb; c) hypervalent iodine and bismuth compounds for use in synthetic organic chemistry; d) magnetism of insulating systems; e) metallized and metal-oxide-containing polyimide nanocomposite materials; f) synthesis of polymer-clay nanocomposites; and g) preparation of metal oxide materials and clays as polymer fire retardant/smoke suppressants. Faculty members at fifteen primarily undergraduate partner institutions will also carry out research using this instrumentation.
The X-ray diffractometer allows accurate and precise measurements of the full three dimensional structure of a molecule, including bond distances and angles, and it provides accurate information about the spatial arrangement of the molecule relative to the neighboring molecules. These studies will have an impact in a number of areas, especially synthesis of important inorganic chemicals and environmental chemistry.
