Recent Awards and Recognition

The 2006 Sharon Dabney Memorial Award

• Brandi Schottel

The Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement

Award for Graduate Mentoring 2006

• Dr. Kim R. Dunbar

Recognizing Excellence in Education Award

About the Group

Research in the Dunbar Group spans several areas, including organometallic, materials, and bioinorganic chemistry.  Our philosophy is to tackle problems in diverse areas of inorganic chemistry in order to gain insight into the behavior and potential applications of transition metal compounds. We have a strong committment to inorganic preparative chemistry, and also the synthesis of new ligands (e.g., organocyanides, phosphines, tetrathiafulvalenes, polypyridines/pyrimidines.)  The synthetic part of our research program is coupled to a keen interest in the hands-on use of physical and analytical tools.  Characterization methods include 2-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, epr, electronic and infrared spectroscopies; cyclic voltammetry and electrocrystallization; variable temperature conductivity, susceptibility and magnetization measurements on SQUID magnetometers/susceptometers; single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction; scanning and transmission electron microscopy; mass spectrometry (electrospray, FAB, MALDI) and separations (HPLC). Not the least of the important tools in our research is single crystal X-ray structural determination on a CCD area detector.   These instruments can solve structures of very small crystals, an area in which we are very much involved.  In terms of the educational experience, this kind of comprehensive research program exposes students to many different types of problems and to the sort of multidisciplinary approach that they will undoubtedly encounter in their scientific future, whether it be in an industrial or an academic setting.