Developing a Mechanistic Picture of the Synthesis and Assembly of Inorganic Nanomaterials

The properties of inorganic nanoscale particles are largely determined by their surfaces, as the fraction of surface atoms can approach unity as the size approaches 1 nm. As a result, the coordination of ligands to the particle surface can quickly become the dominant energetic contribution to the system and therefore provides an opportunity to use molecular design principles to control the formation of well-defined inorganic materials.

New Synthetic Tools for Precision Polymers & Sustainable Materials

Research in the Romero Polymer Lab focuses on the development of novel methodologies for precision synthesis and functionalization of polymeric materials, seeking to address longstanding challenges in stimuli-responsive materials, optoelectronically active polymers, and polymer sustainability. Our efforts utilize a variety of synthetic tools to achieve molecular-level control over polymer structure and properties, with a particular emphasis on photochemistry, electrochemistry, and main group chemistry.

Applications of Bimetallic Cooperativity in Early/Late Heterobimetallic Compounds to Bond Activation and Catalysis

The formation and cleavage of chemical bonds in catalytic reactions relies on accessible redox processes that are often challenging for base metals such as first row and early transition metals. Bimetallic cooperativity provides a potential solution to this challenge. Leveraging dinucleating phosphinoamide ligands, a series of early/late heterobimetallic Zr/Co compounds have been synthesized and investigated. These frameworks have been shown to support metal-metal multiple bonds and facilitate redox and small molecule application processes.

Organometallic Strategies for the Reduction of CO2 to CO, Methanol, and More

The conversion of carbon dioxide to fuels is a promising approach to sustainable energy storage. Selective and efficient reduction of CO2 to fuels (or fuel precursors) relies on advanced catalysts. Guided by the detailed mechanistic insights available from studies of molecular catalysts, we are developing broad strategies and structural design principles for CO2 reduction reactions. Selective CO generation is accomplished with ruthenium and iron complexes that pair a redox-active supporting ligand with a strongly donating ligand featuring an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC).