Phosphorus, one of many elements that fall under the umbrella of inorganic chemistry, is currently experiencing a renaissance due to advancements in synthetic methodology. Currently, there are 4 primary allotropes of phosphorus. While red, white, and black phosphorus have been well-studied, it is only recently that a reliable synthesis of crystalline violet phosphorus has been established.

My research group is interested in mechanistic insights to sort out the reactive oxygen intermediates in photooxidation reactions. We have made contributions to the fields of photooxidation and oxygen-transfer processes, including singlet-oxygen disinfection priming and selective oxidations. In this seminar, one topic to be discussed is the shrinking of a molecular gap (so-to-speak), that is improving of mechanistic understanding of a phototruncation through physical organic chemistry.

Fischer carbene complexes with six valence electrons, characterized by a singlet carbene center, demonstrate an amphiphilic nature.¹ The transition metal carbene complexes share similarities with Fischer carbene complexes, potentially functioning as both nucleophiles and electrophiles.² This duality enables chemists to accomplish intricate transformations, such as C-H bond insertion or cyclopropanation.

First discovered nearly 100 years ago when Samuel Kistler successfully dried silica gel without collapsing its structure, aerogels are a class of materials which contain some of the lightest solids ever synthesized. Today, many types of aerogels exist and can differ by the starting material or drying process, but overall, each are composed of the same interconnected nanostructured framework. Additionally, they are recognized for having extraordinary properties, such as extremely low thermal conductivity, low density, and high porosity, among many more.

The textile industry is renowned for its vibrant array of dyes, yet the discharge of these dyes into water bodies poses significant environmental challenges. In recent years, the utilization of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) has emerged as a promising avenue for the efficient removal of textile dyes through photocatalytic degradation processes. Firstly, the structural characteristics of MOFs render them highly versatile for photocatalytic applications.

The concept of click chemistry was first introduced by Sharpless and his coworkers in 2001¹ , with the copper-mediated azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) being the first click reaction to be introduced. Although a robust and precise reaction, ligating azides with terminal alkynes to afford 1,4-disubstituted triazoles, CuAAC was inherently limited due to its utilization of toxic copper metal as well as its limiting requirement for pre-functionalization. Since then, click chemistry has evolved, driven by a high demand for biorthogonal reactions.

From the 17th through the 19th century, beautifully artistic drawings of living specimens were inextricably linked to biological discovery. However, for much of the 20th century, optical microscopy took a back seat to the powerful new fields of genetics and biochemistry. Starting in the 1980s, the tables started to turn again, thanks to the widespread availability of computers, lasers, sensitive detectors, and fluorescence labeling techniques.

Gas storage and separations are vitally important to many areas of society. Though perhaps easy to appreciate the utility of storing gasses, separating one from another is just as significant. In fact, such processes are conservatively responsible for up to hundreds of billions of dollars of global commerce each year. Significant separations include isolating O₂ and noble gasses from air, as well as isolating short chain hydrocarbons from one another.

Nitride compounds have important technological applications, from ceramics and refractory materials to semiconducting perovskites for solar cells. Despite their wide use, the synthesis of nitride materials is usually more challenging than that of most other materials. Although nitrogen gas is an abundant nitrogen source, its inertness is the main obstacle in the synthesis of nitrides. Breaking the N₂ molecule apart and reacting it with other elements takes a lot of energy, normally in the form of heat.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is caused by fatty deposits, also called cholesterol accumulation in the arteries. The deposits mainly consist of cholesterol, fatty substances, calcium, and fibrin. Atherosclerosis is considered the major cause of cardiovascular diseases mainly involving the heart and brain: coronary arterial disease and ischemic stroke. It is the leading cause of death worldwide, inducing a severe financial burden in the world. The causes of AS include unmodifiable and modifiable risk factors.