Our research program uses inorganic
chemistry, organic chemistry, and chemical
biology approaches to explore new and
interesting frontiers of science, with
particular interest in the areas of
neuroscience and energy research. A
signature of the group is the ability
to make new molecules for a targeted
function. This problem-based, make-and-measure
approach to research allows students
and postdocs in the group to take their
own projects from start to finish.
We synthesize a variety of molecular
systems ranging from organic to inorganic
and organometallic transition-metal
and lanthanide complexes, and then
apply a variety of spectroscopic and
structural characterization techniques,
mechanistic reaction chemistry and
catalysis, and/or biological imaging
to evaluate the properties and applications
of our molecules. Three main project
areas are under current investigation.
Metals on the
Brain. Neuroscience
is one of the most exciting and important
scientific frontiers today, and understanding
the molecular chemistry of the brain
is essential for unlocking the secrets
of basic neurological functions such
as motor control, learning, and memory,
as well as diagnosing and treating
neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. We are particularly interested in the bioinorganic chemistry of the brain. The brain requires the highest amounts of copper and iron in the human body for normal function, but levels of these redox-active metals rise with aging, causing uncontrolled disruptions of metal homeostasis that can lead to oxidative damage and aggregation of proteins and subsequent neuronal death. In particular, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases are characterized by protein-derived plaques that accumulate unusually high amounts of abnormally distributed copper and iron compared to normal brain tissue. To study metal balance in various stages of health and disease, we are developing new synthetic sensors and related chemical tools to interrogate, in real time, molecular aspects of cellular metal accumulation, trafficking, and redox function.
Oxidation Biology. The brain is the
body's most oxidatively active organ, consuming over 20% of the oxygen we breathe in every day. On the other hand, many diseases associated with aging and the brain, including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, have a strong oxidative stress component stemming from cellular oxygen mismanagement. Oxidative stress is the result of unregulated production of reactive oxygen species, and accumulation of oxidative damage leads to the functional decline of organ systems. We are developing new fluorescent probes for oxygen metabolites, redox status, and enzyme activity to study the molecular mechanisms of oxidative processes in living cells, tissue, and ultimately in vivo.
Renewable Energy
Catalysis. A grand
challenge facing our global future
is energy. Within 50 years, the planet's energy needs will almost triple from 12.8 to 35 TW, with carbon dioxide levels at the highest they've
been in the last 650,000 years. These
issues require the development of new,
sustainable energy technologies that
are carbon neutral, and basic science
is needed to meet this ultimate goal.
An important aspect of this effort
is catalysis, which will allow the
efficient storage and transformation
of energy in the form of chemical fuels.
With the goal of developing principles
of fundamental reactions pertinent
to sustainable, carbon-neutral energy
cycles, we are synthesizing new first-row
transition metal complexes and evaluating
their stoichiometric and catalytic
reactivity towards water, oxygen, hydrogen,
and other small molecules of energy
consequence. Synthetic targets of particular
interest are complexes with metal-ligand
multiple bonds and species that can
be activated by controlled proton and
electron transport.
