I am interested in the environmental analysis of soils and plant materials, especially for metals, pesticides and polychlorinatedbiphenyls. Atomic absorption spectroscopy and electrochemical methods are used to detect and quantify metals, while gas chromatography methods (with mass spectrometric (MS) and electron capture (ECD) detection) are used for the analysis of pesticides and PCBs. I am also part of an active, multidisciplinary project looking at specific environmental concerns of the local Utica Marsh. This group includes students and faculty from Biology, Geology, and Chemistry.
I am also interested in the synthesis, physical characterization, and structural analysis of new inorganic and organometallic transition metal cluster compounds. Reactions involving reversible metal-sulfur bond formation are of particular interest. This work involves using inert atmosphere techniques as these compounds are usually air sensitive. We use infrared spectroscopy (IR), UV-Vis spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and electrochemical methods to follow these reactions and characterize products.
The pedagogy of the incorporation of modern instrumental techniques into the General Chemistry Program is another area of interest for me. I believe that chemistry students of all levels can benefit from being exposed to the kinds of instrumentation that chemists routinely use to study matter.
