Dr. Scott Bunge

"Synthesis of Low-Coordinate Main Group, d-Block, and F-Block Complexes"

One area of current interest involves the design, isolation and stabilization of main group, d-block, and f-block complexes with unusual bonding modes and oxidation states. This 10 week summer project is focused on the development of new sterically demanding ligand systems to support novel unsaturated and highly reactive metal compounds. From a fundamental structure/bonding viewpoint, the isolation of such complexes is essential if a comprehensive understanding is to be attained. Additionally, from a more applied perspective, we are also interested in the examination of the structure/activity relationships of low-coordinate and highly reactive metal centers with a goal of their exploitation in catalysis. REU students will utilize standard Schlenk line and glove box techniques for the manipulation of air-sensitive compounds. The characterization of new complexes typically includes single crystal X-ray diffraction, multinuclear NMR, FT-IR and UV/VIS spectroscopy, and DFT calculations.

These investigations, while rooted in traditional aspects of chemistry, will often involve students in collaborations with an array of other scientists and engineers. Group members have their own projects; however, each group member's research will have significant overlap with others in the group. As such, the students' depth of fundamental chemical principles will become augmented by exposure to a breadth of additional concepts. It is anticipated that such a combination of skills results in a fertile and created environment for achievement of research goals. Therefore, students should frequently expand beyond the reaches of classical chemistry subjects, and embrace additional areas, as required, for the successful execution of a specific project.

1. Tandon, S. S.; Bunge, S. D.; Toth, S. A.; Sanchiz, J.; Thompson, L. K.; Shelley, J. T. “Antiferromagnetically Coupled Dimeric Dodecacopper Supramolecular Architectures of Macrocyclic Ligands with a Symmetrical μ₆-BO33- Central Moiety” Inorganic Chemistry, 2015 54(14) 6873-6884.
2. Anwar, M. U., Dawe, L. N., Parsons, S. R., Tandon, S. S., Thompson*, L. K., Dey, S. K., Mereacre, V. Reiff, W. M., Bunge, S. D. “Oligonuclear Fe complexes (Fe, Fe₄, Fe₆, Fe₉) Derived from Tritopic Pyridine Bis-hydrazone Ligands - Structural, Magnetic, and Mossbauer Studies” Inorganic Chemistry, 2014, 53(9), 4655-4668.
3. Adas, S. K., Ocana, J. A., Bunge, S. D.*, “Synthesis and Structural Characterization of a Series of Group 11 2,2-Dialkyl-1,3-dicyclohexylguanidinate Complexes” Australian Journal of Chemistry, 2014, 67(7), 1021-1029.
4. Anwar, M. U. Dawe, L. N., Tandon, S. S.*, Bunge, S. D., Thompson, L. K.*, “Polynuclear lanthanide (Ln) complexes of a tri-functional hydrazone ligand - mononuclear (Dy), dinuclear (Yb, Tm), tetranuclear (Gd), and hexanuclear (Gd, Dy, Tb) examples” Dalton Transactions 2013, 42(21), 7781-7794.
5. Tandon, S. S.*, Bunge, S. D., Sanchiz, J, Thompson, L. K., “Structures and Magnetic Properties of an Antiferromagnetically Coupled Polymeric Copper(II) Complex and Ferromagnetically Coupled Hexanuclear Nickel(II) Clusters” Inorganic Chemistry 2012 51(5) 3270-3282
6. Ng, J. J., Durr, C. B., Lance J. M., Bunge, S. D.* “A Family of 1,1,3,3-Tetraalkylguanidine (H-TAG) Solvated Zinc Aryloxide Pre-Catalysts for the Ring-Opening Polymerization of rac-Lactide” European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 2010 9 1424-1430.
7. Janini, T. E., Rakosi, R., Durr, C. B., Bertke J. A., Bunge, S. D.* “1,1,3,3-Tetramethylguanidine solvated lanthanide aryloxides: Pre-catalysts for intramolecular hydroalkoxylation” Dalton Trans, 2009 47 10601-10608.