Department of Chemistry Seminar – Dr. Sebastian Stoian

About the event

Speaker: Dr. Sebastian Stoian

Host: Dr. Kevin Kittilstved

Title: Looking at Molecules from the Inside Out: M?ssbauer and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Studies of Fe/Co Complexes

Abstract

Iron-containing species are ubiquitous in nature where they mediate vital biological transformations. Iron-based materials are also of great importance for many technological applications. With its selectivity to iron content, nuclear gamma resonance (NGR), also known as M?ssbauer spectroscopy, is uniquely suited for the characterization of any iron-based material. Field dependent NGR and complementary electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies allow for detailed analysis of complex inorganic systems. The first part of this presentation will focus on our efforts to generate and characterize iron and cobalt-based bistable materials. In the second part, the electronic structure of rare high-spin, square-planar cobalt and iron complexes will be discussed. Some of these compounds exhibit large unquenched orbital momenta typically associated with single-molecule magnet behavior. Given that the electronic structure determines both the reactivity and the properties of a compound, its elucidation is important from both fundamental and practical perspectives. Metal species such as those discussed here are also relevant to novel applications for water splitting and remediation of water pollution.

BIO

Dr. Sebastian Stoian holds a PhD degree in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University. After graduation, Dr. Stoian completed postdoctoral training at MIT and was a Jack E. Crow fellow at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. Dr. Stoian is currently a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Idaho. Stoian’s research program has received support from ACS PRF, DoD, and NSF CAREER Award.