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Joseph W. Lauher
Professor
B.A., 1970, Illinois Wesleyan University
Ph.D., 1974, Northwestern University
Research Associate, 1974-1975, Cornell University
Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, 1990
(631) 632-7925
Email: jlauher@notes.cc.sunysb.edu
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STRUCTURAL CHEMISTRY
Structural chemistry is the basis of our research program. Inorganic or organic, molecular or solid state, experimental or theoretical, all aspects of structural chemistry are of interest. We employ the techniques of synthesis, computer design and modeling, and X-ray crystallography in an integrated fashion.
One extraordinarily difficult problem in contemporary chemistry involves the design of molecular solids. By this we mean that one has a sufficient understanding of a molecular system such that accurate predictions of the three-dimensional crystal structure of a molecule can be made. With this ability one can choose molecules that will form molecular solids in accordance with a particular design. Since the various physical and chemical properties of molecular solids depend directly upon the crystal structure, this ability to design particular structures is of great importance when one contemplates applications of molecular solids. These applications are based upon the chemical, electrical, optical, and materials properties of solids, each of these properties being structure dependent.
Our approach to this difficult problem has been to combine a rigorous symmetry analysis of intermolecular interactions with a synthetic program that yields new molecules that can form intermolecular hydrogen bonds in a predictable and reliable manner. Once new molecules are designed and synthesized the technique of X-ray crystallography is used to characterize the new structures and to verify the design.
Crystallographic studies of novel inorganic and organometallic systems are also an important part of our research program. In the past we have studied transition metal cluster compounds. In a collaborative effort with Lutz Gade in Wurzburg, Germany a series of new tripodal amidoligands and their transition metal complexes.
Finally, a major portion of our effort in recent years has been directed toward the development of new graphic software for the computer display of molecular structures. The Chem-Ray graphic program allows the operator to create highly realistic images of molecular models on the computer screen. A close examination of these images can give one a much better understanding of structural chemistry.
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