Philip P. Power

Professor

Tel: (530) 752-6913

Fax: (530) 752-8995

Email: pppower@ucdavis.edu

Inorganic Chemistry

Education

  • B.A., University of Dublin, 1974
  • Ph.D., University of Sussex, 1977 – M.F. Lappert
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship, Stanford University, 1978-1980 – R.H. Holm
  • Appointed to faculty, UC Davis, 1981-present

 
Awards

  • Alexander von Humboldt Award, 1992
  • Faculty Research Lecturer, University of Iowa, 1993
  • Distinguished Visiting Professor, University of Auckland, New Zealand, 1993
  • Reilly Lectureship, University of Notre Dame, 1995
  • Werner Lectureship, Trinity College Dublin, 1996
  • Membership of Editorial Advisory Board of 14 journals including Organometallics, Inorganic Chemistry, Dalton Transactions, Canadian Journal of Chemistry, Heteroatom Chemistry, Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, Polyhedron, Chemistry
  • Mond Medal Royal Society of Chemistry, 2004
  • Associate Editor Inorganic Chemistry, 2004
  • Sloan Foundation Fellow, 1985-1989
  • F. A. Cotlon Award in Synthetic Inorganic Chemistry, American Chemical Society, 2005
  • Elected Fellow of the Royal Society, 2005

 

Synthesis, structure, and physical and chemical properties of inorganic and organometallic compounds.
Low coordinate main group and transition metal complexes
Multiply bonded compounds of the heavier main group and transition metal elements
Stable Free Radicals
Stable Bi-radicaloids
Synthesis of Clusters of Silicon, Germanium, and Tin
Development of new sterically crowded ligands to stabilize unusual bonding and geometries

 
MULTIPLY BONDED COMPOUNDS OF HEAVIER MAIN GROUP ELEMENTS
This field is of widespread current interest. The focus in our group is on compounds of the heavier p-block elements (e.g. Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, P, As, or Bi) and on multiple bonds between these elements and the transition metals. Some feeling for our work , and that of others in the area can be gained from recent reviews; e.g. Chemical  Reviews 1999, 99, 3463-3503, dealing with multiple bonding in the heavier main group elements; J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans., 1998, 2939, dealing with homonuclear multiple bonding in the heavier main group elements.   A large range of these compounds has been synthesized.  See Publications.


LOW (2 OR 3) COORDINATION TRANSITION METAL COMPLEXES
Low coordinate transition metal complexes have long been regarded as interesting curiosities.  However, it is becoming increasingly clear that such complexes have an important role to play in various chemical transformations.  At least two metalloproteins, one involving copper, the other involving iron and molybdenum, probably possess metals in three-coordinate or quasi-three coordinate environments as intermediate.  In particular, the FeMo cofactor in the enzyme nitrogenase involving 6 iron atoms, each nominally bound to three sulfurs with a unique central nitrogen.  Currently, the only transition metal complexes, in which iron is bound to three sulfurs, were synthesized in this laboratory. Recent work has resulted in the synthesis of an RCrCrR compound in which there is a quadruple Cr=Cr bond.


STABLE FREE RADICALS AND BI-RADICALOIDS

We have an extensive program to synthesize stable or isolable odd electron derivatives of main group elements.  Examples include crystalline radicals of the type [RMMR]●- (M = Si, Ge, or Sn); [c-(MR)3]●-; and [R2MMR2]●- (M = B, Al, Ga, or In).  See: Chem. Rev. 2003, 103, 789.  In addition, we are investigating the synthesis of bi-radicaloid or non‑Kukulé complexes.  These compounds have one bond less than normally predicted by valency rules.  Examples include the 4-membered rings RGe(μ‑NR∋)2GeR, (RSnO)2, and (RSnSn)2.  These compounds contain two loosely coupled electrons between group 14 elements.  Other examples involving neighboring groups of the main group elements are also being investigated.


NANOSIZED CRYSTALLINE CLUSTERS OF SILICON AND GERMANIUM
This research has the objective of synthesizing cyrstallizable nanoclusters of silicon, germanium, and tin or mixtures of these elements.  The work is being pursued in collaboration with the groups of S.M. Kauzlarich, and M. Augustine.  The basic approach involves metathesis, reduction or oxidation of simple group 14 starting materials including Zintl salts.  The clusters are calculated to have very useful optical and electronic properties.


Publications.  300+ reviewed papers in various journals
 

Recent Publications
 

Hino, S., Olmstead, M. M., Phillips, A.D., Wright, R.J., Power, P.P., Terphenyl Ligand Stabilized Lead (II) Derivatives: Steric Effects and Lead-Lead Bonding in Diplumbenes. Inorganic Chemistry, 2004, 43, 7346-7352.

 

Wright, R.J., Power, P.P., Scott, B.L., Kiplinger, J.L., Uncommon η3=(N,C,C1)-1-Azullyl Bonding Mode for the Nacnac Ligand; A Bis(β-diketiminate) uranium(III) Iodide Complex. Organometallics,  2004, 21, 4801-4303.

 

Munoz-Harnandez, Miguel-Angel; Montiel-Palma, Virginia; Huitron-Rattinger, Estefania; Cortes-Llamas,  Sara; Tempos-Flores, Norma; Grevy, Jean-Michel; Silvestru, Cristian; Power,  P. P., Dichloro and Alkylchloro Gallium Derivatives of Dichalcogenoimidodiphosphinate ligands: Isolation of a Spirogallium Cation.  Dalton Trans, 2005,193-199.

 

Hino, S., Olmstead, M. M., Fettinger, J.C., Power,  P. P. Synthesis and Structure of Two Lithium Terphenyls and a “Halide Rich” Terphenyl Lithium Species. Journal Organometallic Chemistry, 2005,690, 1638-1644.

 

Wright, R. J., Phillips, A. D., Hino, S., Power,  P. P. Synthesis and Reactivity of Dimeric Ar'TlTlAr' and Trimeric (Ar''Tl)3 (Ar', Ar'' = Bulky Terphenyl Group) Thallium (I) Derivatives:  Tl(I)-Tl(I) Bonding in Species Ligated by Monodentate Ligands. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2005, 127, 4794-4799.

 

Stanciu, C., Hino, S., Stender, M., Richards, A. F., Olmstead, M. M., Power, P. P. Synthesis and Characterization of Ge(II), Sn(II) and Pb(II) Monoamides With Unsubstituted –NH2 Ligands. Inorganic Chemistry, 44, 2774-2780.

 

Razus, A.C., Nitu, C., Pavel, C., Cuiculescu, L-A., Gimfearu, V., Stancui, C., Power,  P.P., Can. J. Chem. 2005,  83, 244-250.

 

Power, P.P.  Synthesis and Some Reactivity Studies of Germanium, Tin and Lead Analogues of Alkynes.  Applied Organometalic Chemistry, 2005, 19, 488-493.

 

Wright, R. J., Power,  P. P. A Monomeric Thallium(I) Amide in the Solid State: Synthesis and Structure of TIN(Me)Ar Mes2 (ArMes2 = C6H3-2,6-Mes2).  Inorg. Chem., 2005,  44, 3368-3370.

 

Richards, A.F., Eichler, B. E., Brynda, M., Olmstead, M. M., Power, P. P. Metal Rich Neutral Cationic Organotic Clusters. Angewandte Chemie Int. Ed. Engl, 2005, 44, 2546-2549.

 

Phillips, A.D. Power, P.P., A main-group donor acception adduct: 1,2,4,5-tetramethylimidazol-2-ylidene-tris (pentafluorophenyl) borane, Acta. Crystalogr., 2005, C61, o291-o293.

 

Carter, R.S., Harley, S.J., Power, P.P., Augustine, M.P., Use of NMR Spectroscopy in the Syntehsis and characterization of Air- and Water-stable silicon nanoparticles from Porous Silicon Chemistry of Materials, 2005, 17, 2932-2939.

 

Nguyen, T.,  Panda, A., Olmstead, M. M., Richards, A. F., Stender, M., Brynda, M., Power, P. P. Synthesis and Characterization of Quasi-Two Coordinate Transition Metal Dithiolates M(SAr*)2 (M = Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn; Ar* = C6H3-2,6(C6H2-2,4,6-Pri3)2. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2005,  127, 8545-8552.

           

Koetzle, T.F., Schultz, A.J., Herring, R., Albinate, A., Klooster, W.T., Eichler, B.E., Power, P.P., Neutron Diffraction Analysis of the first stable Hydride Derivatives of a Divalent Group 14 Metal, Comptes. Rendu., 2005, 8, 1487-1490.

 

Zhu, H., Chai, J., Jancik, V., Roesky, H.W., Merrill, W.A., Power, P.P., The Selective Preparation of an Aluminum Oxide and its Isomeric C-H Activated Hydroxide, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2005, 127, 10170-10171.

                       

Zhu, H., Chai, J., Fan, H., Roesky, H.W., He, C., Janck, V., Schmidt, H-G., Noltemeyer, M., Merrill, W.A., Power, P.P., A Stable Aluminacyclopropene LAl(η2-C2H2) and its End-On Azide Insertion to a Aluminaazcyclobutene, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2005, 44, 5090.

 

Spikes, G.H., Fettinger, J.C., Power, P.P., Facile Activation of Dihydrogen by an Unsaturated Heavier Main Group Compound, 2005, 127, 12232-12233.

 

Power, P. P.  Stable Derivatives of New Isomeric Forms of Heavier Group 14 Element Alkene Analogues.  ACS Symposium Series, 2005, 917, 179-191.

 

Nguyen, T., Sutton, A.D., Brynda, M., Fettinger, J.C., Long, G.J., Power, P.P., Synthesis of a Stable Compound with Five-Fold Bonding Between Two Chromium (I) Centers, Science. 2005.

 

Stanciu, C., Richards, A.F., Stender, M., Olmstead, M.M., Power, P.P., New Terphenoxides of Group 13 and 14 Elements, Polyhedron, 2005, 24.

 

Hino, S., Olmstead, M.M., Power, P.P., Characterization of a Plumbyl-plumbylene: An Isomeric Form of a Diplumbene, Organometallics, 2005, 23, 5484-5486.


Richards, A. F., H. Hope and P. P. Power.  Synthesis and Characterization of Neutral, Homo and Heteronuclear Clusters with Unsubstituted Germanium or Tin Atoms.  Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2003 42:4071-4074.

Power, P. P. Persistent and Stable Radicals of the Heavier Main Group Elements and Related Species.  Chemical Reviews 2003 103, 789-809.
 
Pu, L., A. D. Phillips, A. F. Richards, M. Stender, R. S. Simons, M. M. Olmstead, and P. P. Power.  Germanium and Tin Analogues of Alkynes and Their Reduction Products.  Journal of the American Chemical Society 2003 125:11626-11636.
 
Wright, R. J., A. D. Phillips and P. P. Power.  The [2+4] Diels-Alder Cycloadditon Product of a Probable Dialuminene, Ar'AlAlAr' (Ar'= C6H3- 2,6-Dipp2; Dipp = C6H3-2,6-Pri2), with Toluene.  Journal of the American Chemical Society 2003 125:10784-19785.
 
Power, P. P.  Silicon, germanium, tin and lead analogues of acetylenes.  Journal of the Chemical Society, Chemical Communications, 2003 2091-2101.
 
Phillips, A. D., S. Hino and P. P. Power.  A Reversible Valence Equilibrium in a Main Group Compound.  Journal of the American Chemical Society 2003 125:7520-7521.
 
Hardman, N. J., R. J. Wright, A. D. Phillips, and P. P. Power.  Structures, Bonding, and Reaction Chemistry of the Neutral Organogallium(I) Compounds (GaAr)n (n = 1 or 2) (Ar = Terphenyl or Related Ligand):  An Experimental Investigation of Ga–Ga Multiple Bonding.  Journal of the American Chemical Society 2003 125:2667-2679.
 
Wright, R. J., A. D. Phillips, T. L. Allen, W. H. Fink, and P. P. Power.  Synthesis and Characterization of the Monomeric Imides of Ar'MNAr'' (M = Ga or In; Ar' or Ar'' = Terphenyl Ligands) with Two-Coordinate Gallium and Indium.  Journal of the American Chemical Society 2003 125:1694-1695.
 
Wright, R. J., A. D. Phillips, N. J. Hardman, and P. P. Power.  The “Diindene” ArInInAr (Ar = C6H3-2,6-Dipp2, Dipp = C6H3-2,6-Pri2).  Dimeric versus Monomeric In(I) Aryls:  para-Substituent Effects in Terphenyl Ligands.  Journal of the American Chemical Society 2002 124:8538-8539.
 
Hardman, N. J, A. D. Phillips and P. P. Power.  "Bonding and Reactivity of a β-Diketiminate, Gallium(I), Carbene Analogue."  The Chemistry of Group 13 Metal Carbene Analogues.  2002 ACS Symposium Series 822, Chapter 1, 2-15.
 
Panda, A., M. Stender, R. J. Wright, M. M. Olmstead, P. Klavins, and P. P. Power.  Synthesis and Characterization of Three-Coordinate and Related β-Diketiminate Derivatives of Manganese, Iron and Cobalt.  Inorganic Chemistry 2002 41:3909-3916.
 
Phillips, A. D., R. J. Wright, M. M. Olmstead, and P. P. Power.  Synthesis and Characterization of 2,6-Dipp2-H3C6SnSnC6H3-2,6-Dipp2 (Dipp = C6H3-2,6-Pri2):  A Tin Analogue of an Alkyne.  Journal of the American Chemical Society 2002 124:5930-5931.
 
Stender, M., A. D. Phillips, R. J. Wright, and P. P. Power.  Synthesis and Characterization of a Digermanium Analogue of an Alkyne.  Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2002 41:1785-1787.
 
Sanakis, Y., P. P. Power, A. Stubna, and E. Münck.  Mössbauer Study of the Three-Coordinate Planar FeII Thiolate Complex [Fe(SR)3]– (R = C6H2-2,4,6-tBu3):  Model for the Trigonal Iron Sites of the MoFe7S9:Homocitrate Cofactor of Nitrogenase.  Inorganic Chemistry 2002 41:2690-2696.
 
Leppert, V. J., A. K. Murali, S. H. Risbud, M. Stender, P. P. Power, C. Nelson, P. Banerjee, and A. Mayes.  High-resolution electron microscopy and microanalysis of ordered arrays of size-controlled amorphous gallium nitride nanoparticles synthesized in situ in a block copolymer matrix.  Philosophical Magazine B 2002 82:1047-1054.
 
Phillips, A. D., R. J. Wright, M. M. Olmstead, and P. P. Power.  Synthesis and Characterization of 2,6-Dipp2-H3C6SnSnC6H3-2,6-Dipp2 (Dipp = C6H3-2,6-Pri2):  A Tin Analogue of an Alkyne.  Journal of the American Chemical Society 2002 124:5930-5931.
 
Stender, M., A. D. Phillips, R. J. Wright, and P. P. Power.  Synthesis and Characterization of a Digermanium Analogue of an Alkyne.  Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2002 41:1785-1787.
 
Stender, M. and P. P. Power.  Reaction of {HC(CMeNAr)2}Li (Ar = 2,6-i-Pr2C6H3) with indium monochloride to yield the In–In bonded dimer [{HC(CMeNAr)2}InCl]2 and the hydroxide [{HC(CMeNAr)2}InCl(μ-OH)]2.  Polyhedron 2002 21:525-529.
 
Stender, M., R. J. Wright, B. E. Eichler, J. Prust, M. M. Olmstead, H. W. Roesky, and P. P. Power.  The synthesis and structure of lithium derivatives of the sterically encumbered β-diketiminate ligand [{(2,6-Pri2H3C6)N(CH3)C}2CH]–, and a modified synthesis of the aminoimine precursor.  Journal of the Chemical Society, Dalton Transactions, 2002 3465-3469.
 
Power, P. P.  ρ-Bonding and the Lone Pair Effect in Multiple Bonds between Heavier Main Group Elements.  Chemical  Reviews 1999 99:3463-3503.
 
Twamley, B., S. T. Haubrich and P.P. Power.  Element Derivatives of Sterically Encumbering Terphenyl Ligands.  Advances in Organometallic Chemistry 2000 44:1-65.

 


For questions about this webpage or to contact the webmaster, email chemweb@chem.ucdavis.edu
Please note that this email is for web related questions and postings only, and not for Department specific inquiries.