CHY102 General Chemistry

CHY113 General Chemistry II (Laboratory Instructor)

CHY211 General Chemistry Laboratory

CHY339 Characterization of Organic Compounds

CHY445 Materials Science

MS8601 Materials Science

(I) Synthesis of Sulfur, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Containing polymers: The set of projects involves in the synthesis and characterization of polymers containing sulfur, nitrogen and phosphorus atoms in the main chain. We are interested in developing new synthetic routes to these materials, and tuning their physical and chemical properties for such applications as fuel cell electrode membranes.

(II) Synthesis of Metal Containing Polymers and Inverse Crowns: The focus of this project is to synthesize new -conjugated polymers and macrocycles containing transition metals and main group elements in their main chain via transmetallation of Sn atoms from stannole moieties. Incorporation of Group 13 elements (B, Al, Ga, In) or transition metals (such as Pt) into the polymeric species will result in the preparation of polyfunctional Lewis acids with easily tunable optical properties that will be evaluated as potential organic/polymeric light emitting devices (OLEDs/PLEDs) and will have potential application as supported catalysts for organic reactions such as hydrosilylations. Macrocyclic analogous of these species represent exampled of Inverse Crowns (a.k.a. acid crowns) where the Lewis acidic "host" can interact with a Lewis base guest in an inverse acid-base relationship to that seen in normal crown ether complexes. We will be evaluating these materials as potential co-catalysts in the polymerization of olefins.

(III) Application of New Technologies in Chemical Education: We are interested in studying the affects of new and emerging technologies (such as classroom response systems, a.k.a. clickers and podcasts) on the chemical classroom and laboratory. Studies focus on how the adoption of new technologies affects the student experience in both introductory and advanced chemistry courses.

Professional Affiliations:

MCIC (Inorganic Division, Materials Division & Chemical Education Division) Member of the School of Graduate Studies (Molecular Sciences Program)

Rivard, E; Ragogna, P.J.; McWilliams, A.R.; Lough, A.J.; Manners, I. "Reversible Skeletal Transmetalations of Inorganic Rings: Isolation of Aluminatophosphazenes, a Zwitterionic Phosphazene and a Donor-Stable Aluminazene-Phosphazene Hybrid Cation" Inorg. Chem. 2005 44, 6789.

McWilliams, A.R.; Rivard, E. Lough, A.J.; Manners, I. "Reversible Skeletal Substitution Reactions Involving Group 13 Heterophosphazenes" Chem. Commun., 2002, 1102.

Wang, Z.; McWilliams, A.R.; Evans, C.E.B.; Lu, X.; Chung, S.; Winnik, M.; Manners, I.; "Covalent Attachment of Ru(II) Phenanthroline Complexes to Polythionylphosphazenes: The Development and Evaluation of Single-Component Polymeric Oxygen Sensors" Adv. Func. Mater. 2002 12, 415.

Rivard, E.; McWilliams, A.R.; Lough, A.J.; Manners, I. "Synthesis and Characterization of Perhalogenated Diazaphosphametalletidines Containing Transition Metals From Group 4 and 5" J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans. 2002, 2173.

McWilliams, A.R.; Gates, D.P.; Ewards, M.; Liable-Sands, L.M.; Guzei, I.; Rheingold, A.L.; Manners, I.; "Reaction of the Cyclic Thionylphosphazene NSOCl[NPCl2]2 with Halide Abstraction Agents: An Ambient Temperature Ring-Opening Polymerization (ROP) Route to Poly(thionylphosphazenes) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000 122, 8848.

Nobis, N.M.; McWilliams, A.R.; Nuyken, O.; Manners, I.; "Polymers with Sulfur(VI)-Nitrogen-Phosphorus Backbones: Synthesis, Characterization and Properties of Poly[(dialkylamino)thionylphosphazenes]" Macromolecules 2000 33, 7707.