Department

Dr. William J. Evans will present a seminar on Tuesday, May 6, 2008.

Talk title: "The Importance of Questioning Scientific Assumptions: Some Lessons from F Element Chemistry"

Abstract: As scientists we know that we should constantly question the assumptions upon which our research is based. We also know that we do not do this often enough. This lecture will serve to remind us not to take the traditional boundaries of any area of chemistry for granted. Recent results in f element chemistry will be presented which show how the "rules" in this area, thought to be true for decades, have been recently overturned. Examples will be presented that challenge previous ideas on topics as fundamental as redox chemistry and bond lengths. Several new ways of doing reductive chemistry will be discussed as well as the synthesis of "long bond organometallics" that have unconventional bond distances and reactivity.

Dr. Kay Brummond will present a seminar on Friday, May 16, 2008.

Talk Title: "Rh(I)-Catalyzed Cyclocarbonylation and Cycloisomerization Reactions of Cumulated Dienes"

Dr. Glaser will present a seminar on Tuesday, May 27, 2008.

Talk Title: "Chiral Recognition via Intermeshing Triple-Helical Molecules in a Crystalline Supramolecular Array: A Tale of Aromatic-Aromatic Interactions."