The Daily Bulletin Archive

Please join the Chemistry and Physics departments for the seminar "Applying Physical Inorganic Spectroscopic Techniques to Catalysis and Careers," presented by alumna Valerie Fleischauer, B.S. '12, lab engineer at the Center for Detectors of RIT, on Thursday, March 14, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Science and Mathematics Complex 173.

Physical inorganic spectroscopic techniques have long been a valuable approach for the pursuit of understanding metals in biological systems. Dr. Fleischauer's work at the University of Rochester extends the value of spectroscopies like 57Fe Mössbauer, magnetic circular dichroism, and electron paramagnetic resonance to the study of mechanisms in carbon-carbon cross-coupling with iron and N-heterocyclic carbenes. In combination with more traditional techniques like gas chromatography and density functional theory, a complete picture of organic and metal products formed during a catalytic reaction is obtained. Through this work a trend in reactive iron(II) centers was observed to carry across two different ligand systems, and a bidentate substrate coordination to iron was found to be critical to prevent formation of unwanted side products. More broadly, by understanding the details of reactive iron species during catalysis, future reactions can be more intelligently designed and tested to include the use of this low-cost, low-toxicity, and very reactive transition metal. Her extensive work with spectroscopy and instrumentation in her thesis research inspired her to seek more technical or engineering focused roles for my career. Ultimately, she accepted a position at the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Center for Detectors, where she has been designing programs to characterize advanced optical sensors and detectors.