Department of Chemistry Seminar

About the event

Speaker:  Cory Windorff, New Mexico State University
Host:  Liane M. Moreau
Title:  Pursuing f-d Heterometallic Complexes

Abstract:
Understanding how f-elements and transition metals interact/communicate are critical for pioneering new catalysts and could shed light on unusual biological interactions. Our group focuses on the synthesis and characterization of complexes that contain both f-elements and transition metals, with the intent of studying electronic structure and reactivity. Specifically, we are most interested in complexes that feature electron transfer between the f- and d-metal. In one project we are interested in mimicking sulfur-reducing bacteria capable of reducing high valent oxo-metals (UO22+ and VO2+). In a second project we are examining electron communication in titanium-f-metal (f-metal = U, Ce, Nd) nitride clusters. We plan to explore the Ti-f complexes as part of small molecule activation. I will briefly discuss a new direction to perform thermodynamic measurements of actinide chlorides and relevant fission product chlorides.

Bio:
Born and raised outside Milwaukee, WI, Cory went to college at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. In 2012 he obtained his BS degree in Chemistry and German, minoring in Math. Cory then went on to graduate studies with Professor William J. Evans at the University of California-Irvine, where he studied low valent organouranium chemistry. During graduate school Cory was awarded a fellowship from the Department of Energy to study low valent organoplutonium chemistry at Los Alamos National Lab with Dr. Stosh Kozimor and Dr. Andrew Gaunt, defending his PhD in 2017.  Cory then went onto postdoctoral studies with Professor Thomas Albrecht-Schönzart at Florida State University from 2017-2020, studying the structural chemistry of trans-uranium complexes. From April-June 2020 Cory was a postdoctoral researcher with Professor Henry La Pierre at the Georgia Institute of Technology, set up a facility for air-free synthetic trans-uranium chemistry. In August of 2020 Cory joined the faculty at New Mexico State University. At NMSU Cory and his research team study the coordination chemistry of f-elements (uranium and the lanthanides), and how they interact with transition metals.