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Christine Thomas

Christine Thomas

Associate Professor of Chemistry
Ph.D., California Institute of Technology

My research plans entail the synthesis of new ligands and transition metal complexes with the ultimate goal of uncovering new approaches to the catalytic activation and functionalization of small molecules and organic substrates. These types of processes are critical for the development of sustainable energy technology and for the catalysis of organic transformations.

Although I am interested in a number of different projects, the underlying theme for my research program is to examine the ways in which different components of a transition metal complex work together and how this cooperation affects the reactivity of the complex as a whole. Specifically, I am interested in examining the cooperation between

1. two metal centers in bimetallic frameworks
2. metal centers and non-innocent ligands

Although the primary focus of my research is synthesis, the research pursued my group also entails a large variety of characterization techniques including multinuclear NMR, IR, UV-Vis and EPR spectroscopies, as well as magnetic and electrochemical measurements. In addition, theoretical investigations into the electronic structure and reactivity of particularly interesting transition metal complexes synthesized in my research group are studied using density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Sample of Recent Publications

1. Coordination of an N-Heterocyclic Phosphenium-Containing Pincer Ligand to a Co(CO)2 Fragment Allows Oxidation to Form an Unusual N-Heterocyclic Phosphinito Species
   Pan, B.; Bezpalko, M. W.; Foxman, B. M.; Thomas, C. M. Organometallics 2011, 30, 5560-5563.
   
2. Metal-Metal Multiple Bonds in Early/Late Heterobimetallics: Applications Towards Small Molecule Activation and Catalysis
   Thomas, C. M. Comments Inorg. Chem. 2011, 32, 14-38.
   
3. Activation of CO2 by a Heterobimetallic Zr/Co Complex
   Krogman, J. P.; Foxman, B. M.; Thomas, C. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 14582-14585.
   
4. Subtle Differences Between Zr and Hf in Early/Late Heterobimetallic Complexes with Cobalt
   Setty, V. N.; Zhou, W.; Foxman, B. M.; Thomas, C. M.Inorg. Chem.2011, 50, 4647-4655.
   
5. A Catalytic Application of Co/Zr Heterobimetallic Complexes: Kumada Coupling of Unactivated Alkyl Halides with Alkyl Grignard Reagents
   Zhou, W.; Napoline, J. W.; Thomas, C. M.Eur. J. Inorg. Chem.2011, 2011, 2029-2033.
   
6. Reactivity of a Pd(I)-Pd(I) dimer with O₂: Monohapto Pd Superoxide and Dipalladium Peroxide in Equilibrium
   Huacuja, R.; Graham, D. J.; Fafard, C. M.; Chen, C.-H.; Foxman, B. M.; Herbert, D.; Alliger, G.; Thomas, C. M.; Ozerov, O. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 33, 3820-3823.
   
7. Guilty as Charged: Non-Innocent Behavior by A Pincer Ligand Featuring a Central Cationic Phosphenium Donor
   Day, G. S.; Pan, B.; Kellenberger, D. L.; Foxman, B. M.; Thomas, C. M. Chem. Commun. 2011, 47, 3634-3636.
   
8. Oxidative Addition Across Zr/Co Multiple Bonds in Early/Late Heterobimetallic Complexes
   Thomas, C. M.; Napoline, J. W.; Rowe, G. T.; Foxman, B. M. Chem. Commun. 2010, 46, 5790-5792.
   
9. Electronic Factors Affecting Metal-Metal Interactions in Early/Late Heterobimetallics: Substituent Effects in Zr/Pt Bis(phosphinoamide) Complexes
   Cooper, B. G.; Fafard, C. M.; Foxman, B. M.; Thomas, C. M. Organometallics , 2010, 29, 5179-5186. (Dietmar Seyferth Festschrift issue).
   
10. Metal-Metal Multiple Bonds in Early/Late Heterobimetallics Support Unusual Trigonal Monopyramidal Geometries at Both Zr and Co
    Greenwood, B. P; Rowe, G. T.; Chen, C.-H.; Foxman, B. M.; Thomas, C. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 44-45.
    
11. Multi-electron Redox Activity Facilitated by Metal-Metal Interaction in Early/Late Heterobimetallics: Co/Zr Complexes Supported by Phosphinoamide Ligands
    Greenwood, B. P; Forman, S. I.; Rowe, G. T.; Chen, C.-H.; Foxman, B. M.; Thomas, C. M. Inorg. Chem. 2009, 48, 6251-6260.