Research Projects: Chemistry and Materials Science of the Group III (13) metals

1. Aluminum-oxide nano-particles as new materials and precursors for ceramics with controlled porosity.
2. Group 12/13 catalysts for H/D exchange and olefin oligomerization.
3. The chemistry of borate and aluminates in the oil industry.
4. Alumoxane catalysts.

Your Job in the Lab: The students are given their own project to work on.

Recommended experience: The student should have already taken undergraduate chemistry labs (i.e. CHEM 121-122 (general chemistry labs), 213-214 (the organic chemistry labs), or the module system).

Positions Open: There is currently 1 position for the summer and 1 position for the fall of 2000.  Students may continue working through the year if they come in during the summer.

Description: The Whitmire research group is involved in a number of inorganic and organometallic research projects.  These projects involve synthesis of new cluster compounds, metal alkoxides and other metal complexes which are targeted for their relevance to catalysis, materials science and pharmaceuticals.  We are exploring the catalysis of industrially important transformations of organic molecules as catalyzed by transition metal clusters and have a new apparatus that allows us to probe these reactions directly under reaction conditions.  We are also interested in preparing new metal alkoxides and are developing routes to making heterometallic species which may be used as precursors to existing or new solid state materials or oxidation catalysts.  We are also beginning to develop a program in pharmaceutical bismuth compounds since bismuth has a documented biological activity but is the least toxic of the heavy metals.  These synthetic studies are under girded by molecular orbital calculations and we collaborate with the research group of Professor Jean-Yves Saillard in Rennes, France, in order to carry out that work.  Besides the normal synthetic and analytical techniques taught in the laboratory classes at Rice, members of the group learn hands on about single crystal x-ray diffraction and multinuclear, variable temperature nuclear magnetic resonance which are very valuable for understanding the structures in both solid and solution phases as well as probing molecular dynamics.

Your Job in the Lab: Undergraduates who join the research group are given independent research projects and are encouraged to develop their own ideas and strategies in consultation with Professor Whitmire and the other researchers in the group.  Research plans are developed after consideration of the undergraduate student's goals and interests in research and what types of techniques he/she wishes to learn.

Recommended experience: Generally having a solid background in freshman chemistry is adequate. Much of the lab work is specialized, such as the use of vacuum lines, Schlenk lines and dry boxes,  and is taught during the course of the project.

Positions Open: I have at least one and probably two paid positions available for the summer 2000 and could easily accommodate 4 students during the fall semester.