Dr. Philip P. Power, Chemistry Department, University of California - Davis, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Chemistry Program, to study homo- and heteronuclear multiple bonding involving heavier group 13 and 14 elements and for the preparation of low valent group 2 complexes that contain metal-metal bonds. The ortho-terphenyl and related ligands will be utilized to stabilize group 13 and 14 elements in low coordinate environments which are amenable to the formation of multiple bonds. The ability of the heavier members of these two series to multiply bond with one another and with other heteroatoms will be explored by a range of physical techniques including x-ray diffraction, multinuclear and dynamic nmr, uv-visible, infrared, and epr spectroscopies. The terphenyl ligands will be similarly employed with the group 2 metals to construct species capable of forming the first metal-metal bonded complexes of these elements. The question of the nature of an element's chemical bonds is one of the most basic in chemistry. This project will probe the ability of aluminum, gallium, indium, germanium, and tin to form double or triple bonds. In general these elements prefer single bonds, but in some cases can be induced to participate in multiple bonding. In addition, the first direct beryllium-beryllium and related magnesium-magnesium species will be sought. The results of the study will define the sorts of compounds these elements can form and will contribute to the design of, e.g., catalysts or advanced materials that are based on them. ¥©à ?â?À> ? à À ?/Â¥/%`¢¥¢ ?? /??/>?Ã? _/Â¥Ã??/%¢ ¥©/Â¥ /?à ?/¢Ã? ?> ¥©Ã_
