Other Interests

Our group initially started research in several problems of ligand field theory as applied to the vibronic spectra of heavy transition metal complexes in crystals. This grew out of the TAK thesis work with Elliot Bernstein at Princeton and part of his postdoctoral work with Philip Stephens at USC. Absorption spectra in the uv-vis-nearIR were measured and enhanced with MCD in the visible and near IR and 2-photon spectra for highly excited states. These studies tended to focus on the 5d transition metals such as Ir, Os, Re, and Pt in MX6-2 ions. Most of our studies were done for molecular ions isolated in transparent host crystals. Initial work emphasized cubic crystals and use of MCD to determine symmetries of states, primarily with Barbara Kozikowski, and later work studied distorted crystals for symmetry breakdown with Ryong Yoo and Sang Lee. Only for K2PtCl6 were Barbara and Ryong able to get 2-photon excited fluorescence and assign an upper d-energy level. Follow-up studies on a variety of gas phase transition metal complexes (naturally uncharged) by Sang Lee represented a foray in to molecular beam spectroscopy in the group that developed out of the first TAK sabbatical in the Max Planck Institute, in Garching. Occasionally, through collaborations we look at some really different issues off the mai track of the group work. At times these lead to new project and at others they are just isolated inquiries. These have includes syntheses and crystal structures on unusual compounds with Vic Heintz and Wade Freeman, determination of chirality of compounds and following pyrollysis kinetics (outgrowths of collaboration with Jim Chickos Univ. Missouri, St. Louis), and singlet O2 determination with Jacques Kagan at UIC. To learn more about these other topics check "other" in the publication lists. --Research Topics--MVCD--Biopolymers--Instrumentation--Small Molecules--Other Interests--Keiderling Home--