Faculty  Inorganic Chemistry 
Born Queensland, Australia, 1936.
University of Sydney, B.Sc., 1958.
Australian National University, Ph.D.,1962.
University College, London, DSIR Postdoctoral Fellow, 1962-63; ICI Fellow, 1963-66; Lecturer, 1966-69.
University of Toronto, Associate Professor, 1970-75; Professor, 1975-87.
The University of Chicago, Professor, 1987-.
 
Accolades
Fellow, the Royal Society.
1998 American Chemical Society Award in Inorganic Chemistry.
1995 Nyholm Award Medal, Royal Society of Chemistry.
1994 Organometallic Medal, Royal Society of Chemistry.
1979-91 Killam Fellow, University of Toronto.
1978 Noranda Award in Inorganic Chemistry, Canadian Institute of Chemistry.
Brice Bosnich
Professor
Office:SCL 121, 5735 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637
Phone:(773)702-0287Fax:(773)702-0805
Email:bos5@uchicago.edu
Web:none
 
Research Interests:
Two broad projects are currently under investigation. One is concerned with molecular recognition of self-assembled supramolecular receptors which contain large cavities for molecular guest incorporation. The receptors are constructed using square planar metal complexes and are formed by using weak coordinate or hydrogen bonds. Incorporation of guests in these receptors is controlled by the cavity size and by its shape and also by weak interactions with metal ions. These studies involve the construction of nanoscale molecular squares, boxes and triangles which carry charge distribution around the periphery of the structures. Because of the charges, the supramolecular structures are expected to form in water solution. The study of supramolecular recognition serves to provide an understanding of how molecular recognition and self-assembly occur in biology. Such biological phenomena as immune response, enzyme catalysis, drug activity and ion channel gating all rely on molecular recognition. Supramolecular systems can also be constructed to act as nanoscale devices such as molecular switches and molecular machines.
 
The other area of study is concerned with the activation of molecular oxygen by multimetallic systems. The respiratory proteins, hemocyanin and hemerythrin use two metal ions for oxygen transport. Other proteins use multimetallic systems for the reduction of dioxygen by four electrons. The respiratory protein, hemerythrin, contains two non-heme iron atoms and resembles a large class of di-iron proteins which activate dioxygen in various ways. The reversible uptake of dioxygen by hemerythrin is the inspiration for the present study. This involves the construction of bimetallic complexes which are capable of binding a substrate such as molecular oxygen to one metal and, upon binding, the substrate is reduced by two electrons, one from each metal as occurs in hemerythrin. Such two- electron reductions have not been observed in synthetic systems with any substrate. This work addresses a general fundamental problem of generating multimetallic complexes which can undergo oxidative additions by using the reducing power of all of the metals. Were the principles of such multimetallic oxidations understood, it would be possible to devise a unique class of catalysts distinct from those currently employed using monometallic complexes. In particular, multimetallic systems offer the prospect of using molecular oxygen for the catalytic oxygenation of organic substrates, and of generating fuel cells.
 
The research in both areas is a blend of both organic and inorganic synthesis. An array of physical techniques is used to characterize the molecules and their behavior. The work is directed at both a fundamental understanding of the systems and at the possible practical applications.
 
Selected References
Supramolecular Recognition: Protoumotive-Driven Switches or Motors? Chem. Eur. J., 10, 1944 (2004).
Molecular Recognition. Electrostatic Effects in Supramolecular Self-Assembly. J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun., 392 (2003).
Supramolecular Recognition. Terpyridyl Palladium and Platinum Molecular Clefts and Their Association with Planar Platinum Complexes. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 125, 444, (2003).
Supramolecular Recognition: On the Kinetic Lability of Thermodynamically Stable Host-Guest Association Complexes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 99, 4823 (2002).
Bimetallic Reactivity. One-Site Addition Two-Metal Oxidation Reaction of Dioxygen with a Bimetallic Dicobalt(II) Complex Bearing Five- and Six-Coordinate Sites. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 124, 1714, (2002).
Supramolecular Recognition: Use of Cofacially Disposed Bis-terpyridyl Square-Planar Complexes in Self-Assembly and Molecular Recognition. Helv. Chim. Acta, 84, 2971 (2001).
Supramolecular Chemistry. Supramolecular Squares and Their Guests. Synlett, 51, 941 (2001).
Supramolecular Chemistry. Molecular Recognition and Self-Assembly Using Rigid Spacer-Chelators Bearing Cofacial Terpyridyl Palladium(II) Complexes Separated by 7 Å. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 123, 3940, (2001).
Bimetallic One-site Addition Two-metal Oxidation Reactions Using a Di-Co(II) Complex of a Binucleating Ligand with 5- and 6-coordinate Sites. Inorg. Chem., 40, 4101, (2001).
 
 
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Last Modified: Tuesday, 06-Mar-2007 09:02:29 CST