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Chris Graves

Professor

Program Coordinator, Environmental Studies

On Leave - Academic Year

Chemistry & Biochemistry

Environmental Studies

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 957-6260
  2. Science Center 184
  3. Science Center 177

Links

Research interests: synthetic inorganic & organometallic chemistry, catalyst development

Education

B.S., Chemistry, Mount Allison University
Ph.D., Chemistry, Northwestern University
Postdoctoral Fellow, Los Alamos National Laboratory

Teaching

I teach general chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and environmental chemistry, as well as courses in the Environmental Studies curriculum. I also mentor students engaged in research for credit.

Research

Research in my lab is devoted to the development of novel aluminum complexes for application as catalysts. We have a specific interest in the synthesis of aluminum complexes of redox active ligands across various oxidation states. The catalytic application of the aluminum complexes we prepare are guided by an understanding of the electronic structure and fundamental reactivity patterns of the compounds, as well as theory.

Publications

(Undergraduate co-authors are marked with an *)

Woodside, A. J.;* Smith, M. A;* Herb, T. M.;* Manor, B. C.; Carroll, P. J. Rablen, P. R.; Graves, C. R. “Synthesis and Characterization of a Tripodal Tris(nitroxide) Aluminum Complex and Its Catalytic Activity toward Carbonyl Hydroboration” Organometallics 2019, 38, 1017–1020.

Kirsh, J. M.;* Woodside, A. J.;* Manor, B. C.; Carroll, P. J.; Rablen, P. R.; Graves, C. R. “Synthesis and Characterization of (pyNO−)2GaCl: A Redox-Active Gallium Complex” Inorganics 20186, 50.

Wilson, H. H.;* Koellner, C. A.;* Hannan, Z. M.;* Endy, C. B.;* Bezpalko, M. W.; Piro, N. A.; Kassel, W. S.; Sonntag, M. D.; Graves, C. R. “Synthesis and Characterization of Neutral Ligand α-Diimine Complexes of Aluminum with Tunable Redox Energetics” Inorg. Chem. 2018, 57, 9622–9633.

Herb, T. M.;* Poitras, A. M.;* Richardson, K. G.;* Cole, B. E.; Bogart, J. A.; B. E.; Carroll, P. J.; Schelter, E. J.; Graves, C. R. “Synthesis and Characterization of Aluminum Nitroxide Complexes” Polyhedron 2016, 114, 194-199.

Poitras, A. M.;* Bogart, J. A.; Cole, B. E.; Carroll, P. J.; Schelter, E. J.; Graves, C. R. “Synthesis and Characterization of Redox-Active Aluminum-Pyridyl Nitroxide Complexes” Inorg. Chem. 2015, 54, 10901–10908.

Koellner, C. A.;* Piro, N. A.; Kassel, W. S.; Goldsmith, C. R.; Graves, C. R “Synthesis and Characterization of a-Diimine Complexes of Group 13 Metals and Their Catalytic Activity Toward the Epoxidation of Alkenes” Inorg. Chem. 2015, 54, 7239-7141.

Yeagle, K. P.;* Hester, D.;* Piro, N. A.; Dougherty, W. G.; Kassel, W. S.; Graves, C. R. “Synthesis, Characterization, and Catalytic Activity of a Series of Aluminum-Amidate Complexes” Aust. J. Chem. 2015, 68, 357-365.

Cole, B. E.;* Wolbach, J. P.; Dougherty, W. G.; Piro, N. A.; Kassel, W. S.; Graves, C. R. “Synthesis and Characterization of Aluminum-α-Diimine Complexes Over Multiple Redox States” Inorg. Chem. 2014, 53, 3899-3906.