This project, in the Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Chemistry Program, is a continuation of Professor Kenneth J. Klabunde's studies at Kansas State University of applications of "free atoms" and small particles. Specific topics to be investigated include 1) the use of metal atoms to produce novel arenemetal complexes of novel ligands such as sigma- bonded silanes, 2) the reaction of Group 2 metal atoms with alkyl or aryl halides to produce clusters that conceptionally may be considered as a combination of an alkyl or aryl metal halide with a small number (1-3) of additional metal atoms, 3) combination of metal vapors of two elements to small bielement particles as metastable alloys or mixtures, and 4) generation of colloids by deposition of metal vapors into organic solvents and their applications in generating films of metals on polymeric substrates. Condensation of gaseous metal atoms is rapidly becoming an important method of generating new materials with many interesting and important technological applications. This project is concerned with the fundamental understanding of exactly how metal atoms combine together, and with other reactive species, to give materials with specific properties.
