This award in Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Chemistry supports research on metal-metal bonding in transition metal compounds by Dr. F. Albert Cotton, Chemistry Department, Texas A&M University. New dinuclear compounds with multiple metal bonds will be synthesized and structurally characterized. Of particular interest are compounds containing V, Nb, Ta, Fe and Mn, for which few examples of this bonding motif are known. The strategy is to synthesize ligands with binding sites that force the metals into the desired configuration. Emphasis will also be placed on compounds that have unusual oxidation states or structural features. In addition, species that contain chains of three or more metals atoms with conducting properties will be prepared.
Compounds that contain two metal atoms linked together are of interest because of their unusual bonding behavior. They have been used as catalysts and for determining absolute configuration. In this study, the limits of metal-metal bonding will be tested with metals that have not exhibited this type of bonding previously. Compounds consisting of chains of metals are of interest in understanding metallic behavior and designing compounds with specific electronic properties.
