Dr. Dean Duncan

Students in the Duncan research group investigate:

1) the chemistry and physics of polynuclear and supramolecular transition-metal complexes, particularly high-valent early-transition metal oxides known as polyoxometalates (POMs), which are probed via a combination of synthetic, spectroscopic, and computational approaches; these investigations include fundamental studies of structure, bonding, and reactivity of molecular metal oxides, and the thermodynamics of self-assembling systems; vibronic coupling, electron-transfer and mixed-valence dynamics at the nanometer length scale; protonation and proton transfer on metal oxide surfaces; photophysics and photochemistry at modified metal-oxide surfaces; and selective catalytic oxidations under mild conditions.

2) the modification of electroactive surfaces by covalent attachment of these metal oxide complexes to create high dielectric thin films, sensors, electro/photochromic films, and electrocatalytic surfaces;

3) using these complexes as modular components for the construction of functional nanostructured materials that are spatially organized so as to promote a higher-order integrated function (e.g. molecular electronics, complex multi-step thermal and photoinduced catalytic reactions, and artificial photosynthesis).