This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program supports the efforts of Professor James Gardinier of Marquette University for the design and study of iron(IV)=O species that contain pentadentate ligands for C-H bond activation reactions. The new ligands will modulate the steric and electronic properties of the transition metal complexes, impacting ligand substitution and potentially providing cooperatively-enhanced reaction chemistry for bimetallic ensembles. Despite widespread interest, many fundamental questions about iron(IV)=O species remain unanswered in both biochemical and catalytic processes; this research targets some of these important questions.
Professor Gardinier has created and maintained a web library of spectra for d-d transitions. This website is accessible to both researchers and educators seeking to enhance the undergraduate curriculum. Professor Gardinier also actively participates in the Upward Bound Program, which enables students in grades 9-11 from low income families to develop the skills required to complete high school. The introduction of mini-workshops on current inorganic research projects exposes these students to modern research topics.
