Neil Tomson,  Julie Mertzman, Sarah Stoll, Michelle Regulacio, Julia Daher

Graduate Students

• Michelle Regulacio

• Jessica Cataldi ('06)
• Louise Wong ('06)
• Caitlin McMullen ('06)
• Rachel Pacheco ('04)

Research Areas

Template Surfaces of Mn-12

    We have found that any surface with carboxylate groups can be used to attach this novel magnetic cluster to a substrate.  Although this 'Single-Molecule Magnet' has been proposed as a model system for nanoscale data storage, no strategies for controlling the patterning of this cluster have been reported.  We can use Self Assembled Monolayers of carboxylate terminated thiols to form self-limiting monolayer cluster films on gold surfaces.  We have been able to adapt this technique to a variety of surfaces, such as spheres (using polystyrene beads)  or channels (using derivatized MCM-41). We have also formed multilayered structures with the cluster and short chain polyanions such as PolyAcrylic Acid (PAA).  This provides a variety of means for studying surface bound clusters and their magnetic properties.

Multilayered structure of Mn-12 with PAA (-CH₂CHCOOH-)_n

Magnetic Nanoparticles
    We are interested in studying the properties of magnetic semiconductors such as europium sulfide, with quantum confinement.  Using europium dithiocarbamates as precursors, we hope to grow monodispersed nanoparticles of EuS capped with Tri-OctylPhosphine (TOP).  Europium chalcogenides are unusual magnetic semiconductors with magnetic coupling between the rare earth atoms.  Because the coupling is influenced by the band gap, we hope to tune the magnetic behavior by controlling the band gap through particle size.   

            Eu(Dtc-Et)₃Bpy

Hydrothermal Synthesis

    Water above its boiling point has rather unusual properties, and its use in hydrothermal synthesis provides an ideal method for crystal growth.  We have studied photoluminescent materials based on Cu₂X₂L (X is a halide, L is a bidentate amine), as well as new cyanide materials, Cu₂CN₂(Phenazine), (CuCN)₂(Pyrazine)₂.  The mixed cyanide-halide, Cu₃Cl₂CN(pyrazine) has rare three coordinate cyanide.

Crystals of Cu₂(CN)₂Phz

    Currently we are investigating the synthesis of new europium chalcogenides (S, Se, Te) using ethylene diamine as a solvent.