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 Education:
- B.S., University of Illinois, 1952
- M.S., University of Michigan, 1954
- Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1957
- Ph.D. (cantab.), Cambridge University, 1959
E-mail: jjl@mail.cm.utexas.edu
Telephone: (512) 471-3288
Office: WEL 4.328
Research Interests: My interests in chemistry at The University
are expressed in terms of two broad considerations: conventional bench-oriented
chemical research and research in chemical education. Thus, my research
group consists of students with these kinds of interests. My chemical
research interests include general solution phenomena in non-aqueous
solvents and organometallic pi-complexes; electrochemical and spectroscopic
methods are widely employed by students working in these areas.
Non-aqueous solution chemistry: The interest in nonaqueous
solution chemistry is focused primarily on anhydrous liquid ammonia
although we have had interests in amine and ether solvents as well as
in molten salts. Earlier work from these laboratories developed acidity
scales in liquid ammonia using uv-vis absorption and NMR spectroscopy;
in addition, the structure of the pure solvent in relationship to solutions
of ionic species has been investigated using infrared and Raman spectroscopy.
Recently, the solution species responsible for unusual redox process
in liquid ammonia have been investigated. For example, the reactions
of the solvated electron as a chemical species is being elucidated.
Earlier work in this area revealed the existence of the auride ion (Au-),
arising from the reaction of metal-ammonia solutions with elemental
gold. This process can also be accomplished electrochemically at a microelectrode
using modern cyclic voltammetric techniques. Similar results have been
obtained in anhydrous ethylenediamine as a solvent. The initial interest
in monoatomic anionic species has been extended to polynuclear mono-
and hetero-anions (the Zintl ions) that can be formed by the elements
in groups IIIA, IVA, and VA, e.g., TlSn93-, Sn94-,
P73-. Redox transformations (e.g., P73-
--> P3-) can be studied by cyclic volumetric methods,
uv-vis spectroscopy, and spectroelectrochemical techniques. The interest
in these systems is not only in the solution species, but also the characteristics
of the films formed when Zintl anions are oxidatively discharged. Thus,
for example, it is of interest to relate the structure of the phosphorous
film formed when P73- and P3- are discharged
at a platinum microelectrode to the structures of the known allotropes
of phosphorous.
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- Organometallic chemistry: The basic interest in organometallic
chemistry is in the syntheses and the properties of materials. Specifically,
we have used metal atom synthesis techniques to prepare a variety
of substituted p-arene chromium complexes;
our interests in these compounds include an (electrochemical) elucidation
of the electron environment of the metal atom as a function of the
arene substitutent. In addition we have used metal atom syntheses
to prepare multi-metal, p-complexes [e.g.,
bis(p-arenechromium) p-naphthalene]
incorporating arene ligands designed to transmit electronic effects
among the metal sites. We have extended the metal atom synthesis technique
to prepare organometallic polymers in which the metal atoms are directly
involved in the polymer chain, i.e., poly(m-naphthalene
chromium). We are currently engaged in a study of the electrical properties
of such polymers. Recently we have become interested in using substituted
in organometallic compounds.
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- Chemical Education: My research in chemical education
is currently focused on the improvement of the educational process,
both from a teaching and a learning point of view, using techniques
involving interactive technology-computing and interactive video.
Investigations into the efficacy of using certain computer methods
(expressed with microcomputers) on instruction in laboratory courses
and in lecture courses are in progress.
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