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My research primarily focuses on biomimetics of the active sites of the [FeFe]- and [Fe]-hydrogenases (H2ase) and is classified into three parts. Part A: The one-electron oxidation of asymmetrically disubstituted FeIFeI models of the active site of the [FeFe]-H2ase, (mu-pdt)[Fe(CO)2PMe3][Fe(CO)2NHC] (pdt = 1,3- propanedithiolate, NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) generates mixed valent FeIIFeI models of the Hox state of [FeFe]-hydrogenase. The spectroscopic properties, structures, reactivities and relative stabilities of the one-electron oxidized mixed valent complexes, (mu-pdt)(mu-CO)[FeII(CO)2PMe3][FeI(CO)NHC]+ are discussed in the context of experimental and theoretical data and biological relevance. Part B: DFT computations find the Fe-Fe bond in the FeIFeI diiron models ((mu- pdt)[Fe(CO)2L][Fe(CO)2L'] ( L, L' = CO, PPh3, or PMe3) is thermodynamically favored to produce the mu-oxo or oxidative addition product, FeII-O-FeII, nevertheless the sulfurbased HOMO-1 accounts for the experimentally observed mono- and bis-O-atom adducts at sulfur. The FeII(mu-H)FeII diiron model, (mu-pdt)(mu-H)[Fe(CO)2PMe3]2 (IV-5), for which the HOMO is largely of sulfur character, exclusively yields S-oxygenation. Deoxygenation with reclamation of the mu-pdt parent complexes occurs in a proton/electron coupled process. The possible biological relevance of oxygenation and deoxygenation studies is discussed. Comprehensive investigations of intramolecular CO site change and intermolecular CO/L (L = PMe3 or CN-) exchange of (mu-pst)[Fe(CO)3]2 (IV-1-O), (mu-pdt)[Fe(CO)3]2 (V-1), and their mono-CN-/PMe3 substituted derivatives indicated that the factors influencing the rate of the CO/L exchange reaction of such diiron carbonyls are intramolecular structural rearrangement (or fluxionality) and nucleophilic attack by the incoming ligand. Part C: X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic studies of a series of mono- and disubstituted complexes, FeI2(CO)xL4-x, x = 2 or 3, showed them to be rudimentary structural models of the [Fe]-H2ase active site in native (FeII(CO)2) or CO-inhibited (FeII(CO)3) states. Full characterization of the advanced model complexes ((NS)FeI(CO)2P, NS = 2-amidophenothiolate; P = phosphine) including x-ray diffraction, DFT computations, and Mossbauer studies revealed the interesting "noninnocent" character of these complexes due to the NS ligand. Ligand-based protonation with a strong acid, HBF4Et2O, interrupted the pi-delocalization over Fe and ligand of complex VII-1 and switched on CO uptake (1 bar) and 12CO/ 13CO exchange of VII-1. The intermediate, VII-1-H+, capable of CO uptake, was defined by DFT calculations.

Rapidly expanding research in nanotechnology has led to exciting progress in a versatile array of applications from medical diagnostics to photocatalytic fuel cells. Such success is due to the ability of researchers to manipulate the desired properties of nanomaterials by controlling their size, shape, and composition. Among the most thriving areas of nanoparticle research has been the synthesis and characterization of stable metallic nanoclusters capped by thiolate ligands. Our group has extended this research to study copper, silver, and gold clusters with remarkable stability and energetics, which was achieved by using dithiolates as the ligand stabilizers. In addition to the enhanced stability offered by the chelate effect, the use of dithiolate ligands instead of monothiolates is proposed to provide an alternate interfacial bond structure that is shown to strongly influence energetic properties of nanoclusters, with strong evidence of metal-ligand charge transfer. Energetic properties were characterized by spectroscopic and electrochemical methods.

In addition to the well known quantum confinement effects resulted from size and shape, interfacial bond structure is another factor, affecting the properties of the nanomaterial that is rarely studied. Inspired by the “Au-S-Au” staple motif discovered from the crystal structure of monothiol protected Au102 nanocluster (Science, 2007, 318, 430), dithiol molecules (e. g. 1, 2-dithiol, 1, 4-dithiol, etc.) with molecular structural constraint have been employed to create dithiolate protected clusters or mixed monothiolate and dithiolate protected clusters. The structure and properties of the Au clusters are expected to change due to two effects: The entropy gain of dithiol over monothiol protection and the constraint to the formation of the thiol bridging motif. DMPS (1, 2-dithiol molecule) stabilized clusters with characteristic absorption bands have been obtained, and characterized by multiple techniques. Monolayer reaction on gold core surface between the monothiol tiopronin and dithiol DMPS has been performed, and the mechanism has been probed. Mixed phenylethanethiolate and durene-dithiolate (1, 4-dithiol molecule) protected Au130 clusters with rich electrochemical features have been created, and the optical and electrochemical energetics have been successfully correlated based on core and core-ligand energy states. Furthermore, the impact of 1, 4-dithiolate-Au bonding on the near infrared luminescence has been studied.