Associate Professor, Inorganic Chemistry

B.S. 1989, State University of New York at Buffalo
Ph.D. 1994, State University of New York at Buffalo
Postdoctoral: 1995-1997, NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Email: lfszcze@ilstu.edu
Phone: (309)438-2359
Office: 313 Science Laboratory Building

Research in the Szczepura group involves the development of the coordination chemistry associated with new families of transition metal clusters. Our current focus is on hexanuclear molybdenum (Mo) and rhenium (Re) based clusters that are structurally similar to the cluster depicted in Figure 1. We are particularly interested in developing synthetic methodologies which will enable us to design new cluster complexes, and in conducting fundamental studies which will allow us to understand the steric and electronic ligand effects on the properties and reactivities of these new cluster complexes. This knowledge is essential for the deliberate manipulation of new cluster complexes towards specific applications such as hydrodesulfurization.

Students conducting research in the Szczepura group have the opportunity to synthesize and characterize new cluster complexes. Common characterization techniques include NMR (¹H,¹³C and ³¹P), UV-vis and IR spectroscopies. Our laboratory is equipped with a state-of-the-art rapid scanning spectrophotometer with a stopped flow device. This apparatus enables us to conduct detailed analyses of very fast reactions.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Szczepura, L. F.; Oh, M. K.; Knott, S. A. "Synthesis and Electrochemical Study of the First Tetrazolate Hexanuclear Rhenium Cluster Complex," Chem. Commun. 2007, 4617-4619.

Stevenson, C. D; Reiter, R. C.; Szczepura, L. F.; Peters, S. J. "Polycyclooctatetraeneoxy Alkane Polyanionic Polyradicals," J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 421-427.

Lash, T. D.; Colby, D. A.; Szczepura, L. F. "New Riches in Carbaporphyrin Chemistry: Silver and Gold Organometallic Complexes of Benzoporphyrins," Inorg. Chem., 2004, 43, 5258-5267.

Szczepura, L. F.; Hitchcock, S. R.; Nora, G. P. "(5S,6R)-3,4,5,6-Tetrahydro-5-methyl-6-phenyl-4- propyl-2H-1,3,4-oxadiazin-2-one," Acta. Cryst., 2004, E60, o1467-o1469.

Lash, T. D.; Colby, D. A.; Graham, S. R.; Ferrence, G. M.; Szczepura, L. F. "Organometallic Chemistry of Azuliporphyrins: Synthesis, Spectroscopy, Electrochemistry, and Structural Characterization of Nickel(II), Palladium(II), and Platinum(II) Complexes of Azuliporphyrins," Inorg. Chem. 2003, 42, 7326-7338.

Szczepura, L. F.; Ooro, B. A.; Wilson, S. R. "Synthesis of Hexanuclear Molybdenum Clusters Containing Phosphine Oxide Ligands," J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans. 2002, 3112-3116.