Dr. John P. Fackler of the Chemistry Department, Texas A&M University, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Program for investigation of the chemistry of dinuclear and polynuclear complexes of Group 11 elements, particularly copper and gold. Fackler will model metal-metal bond formation and rupture, as related to bimetallic oxidative addition reactions. The emphasis is on the influence of neighboring metals and coordinated ligands in gold complexes, but the results will have relevance to catalytic reactions of other d-10 metals, such as copper(I), silver(I), nickel, platinum and palladium. The luminescence properties of these compounds will be exploited for characterization. Mixed metal cluster systems involving copper(I) and silver(I) will also be studied, along with species containing platinum and gold chains. %%% In this basic research project, Dr. John Fackler of Texas A&M University will synthesize new compounds which contain two or more metal atoms. Gold will be used in most of these compounds, in combination with copper or silver. One compound, for example, that will be prepared will contain a chain of six gold and platinum atoms. The purpose of the study is to investigate the reactivity of the compounds in reactions in which small molecules, such as carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide, are inserted into or across the metal-metal bond. These reactions serve as models for many types of catalytic reactions involving gold, platinum, palladium, silver, and nickel.
