Chemistry

Biographical Info

Christou group research is in the synthesis and study of polynuclear transition metal cluster compounds of relevance to several areas, including bioinorganic and materials chemistry. We develop synthetic routes to novel, high nuclearity clusters of the 3d metals V to Cu, with the largest to date being a Mn84 wheel-like compound. We have a particularly strong interest in clusters of Mn and Fe for their often unusual and even unique magnetic properties, such as abnormally high numbers of unpaired electrons and the resulting ability to function as nanoscale magnets. These have potential applications to high-density information storage and quantum computing, which has made them of great interest to chemists, physicists and materials scientists alike. We employ a variety of characterization techniques, including NMR and EPR spectroscopies, electrochemistry, magnetochemistry, mass spectrometry and X-ray crystallography.