Teresa M. Eaton

Area of research

Inorganic Chemistry · Materials Chemistry

Research interest

Research topics from publications: Characterization of berkelium(III) dipicolinate and borate compounds in solution and the solid state; Alkynes as Linchpins for the Additive Annulation of Biphenyls: Convergent Construction of Functionalized Fused Helicenes; Soft-donor dipicolinamide derivatives for selective actinide(iii)/lanthanide(iii) separation: the role of S- vs. O-donor sites; Th(VO3)2(SeO3) and Ln(VO3)2(IO3) (Ln = Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, and Eu): unusual cases of aliovalent substitution; Electronic Structure and Properties of Berkelium Iodates; Further Evidence for the Stabilization of U(V) within a Tetraoxo Core; Diverse Lanthanide Coordination and Selective Ion Exchange in the Microporous Selenites Na4Ln4(SeO3)7O·nH2O (Ln = Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb); ChemInform Abstract: Further Evidence for the Stabilization of U(V) within a Tetraoxo Core; ChemInform Abstract: Th(VO3)2(SeO3) and Ln(VO3)2(IO3) (Ln = Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, and Eu): Unusual Cases of Aliovalent Substitution. Representative work: Berkelium is positioned at a crucial location in the actinide series between the inherently stable half-filled 5f(7) configuration of curium and the abrupt transition in chemical behavior created by the onset of a metastable divalent state that starts at californium. However, the mere 320-day half-life of berkelium's only available isotope, (249)Bk, has hindered in-depth studies of the element's coordination chemistry. Herein, we report the synthesis and detailed solid-state and solution-phase characterization of a berkelium coordination complex, Bk(III)tris(dipicolinate), as well as a chemically distinct Bk(III) borate material for comparison. We demonstrate that berkelium's complexation is A new approach to fused helicenes is reported, where varied substituents are readily incorporated in the extended aromatic frame. From the alkynyl precursor, the final helical compounds are obtained under mild conditions in a two-step process, in which the final C-C bond is formed via a photochemical cyclization/ dehydroiodination sequence. The distortion of the π-system from planarity leads to unusual packing in the solid state. Computational analysis reveals that substituent incorporation perturbs geometries and electronic structures of these nonplanar aromatics