Inorganic Chemistry for a Sustainable Tomorrow

Welcome the Blakemore Group Webpage! We are a research group in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Kansas.

Our aim is to improve the sustainable production of chemicals, fuels, and energy using the tools of inorganic and organometallic chemistry, molecular electrochemistry, and surface chemistry. Our active projects are diverse in scope and span a number of topics:

Synthesis and study of multimetallic coordination complexes. We are synthesizing and characterizing heterobimetallic complexes of uranium and other heavy elements, in order to understand how to predictably tune their chemical and electrochemical properties and reactivity.

Molecular catalysis and catalyst activation. We are investigating the activation pathways and catalytic activity of several classes of organometallic species, including half-sandwich rhodium complexes and early-transition metal catalysts for olefin activation.

Applications of the electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance. We are using piezoelectric gravimetry to understand interfacial reactivity during electrochemistry and electrocatalysis. Interfacial processes, like metal deposition, are often difficult to study but impact the efficiency of most electrode processes.

Structure-function studies of chemically modified electrodes. We are studying the immobilization of metal complexes on electrodes in order to understand the role of molecular structure in their behavior and stability. Our goal is to rationally design systems for applications in areas like separations science.

Carbon dioxide conversion. In collaboration with Profs. Kevin Leonard and Bala Subramaniam at the KU Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis, we are developing new media and chemistries for carbon dioxide conversion to more useful chemicals.