The Latendresse Lab is rooted in synthetic inorganic chemistry and aims to address challenges related of energy conversion, catalysis, small-molecule activation, and quantum information storage/processing. Inspired by biological systems and/or inorganic materials, we seek to develop discrete transition metal/f-element molecules having unique electronic structures and fundamentally new modes of reactivity. While aiming to the impact the broader societal problems mentioned above, our work will challenge traditional paradigms of reactivity, structure, and bonding of the transition metal and f-element ions.

Specific projects in the group include 1) the design of organometallic f-element compounds featuring unique oxidation states, 2) developing new molecular species that can facilitate concerted multi-e-/multi-H+ chemical transformations, and 3) the synthesis, structure, and magnetic characterization of f-element ions bonded to substitutionally “naked” main group ligands. Students and post-docs in the group will be exposed to a suite of physical characterization techniques including single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD), superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry, electrochemical methods, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, and more.