Cover from Professor Odom's Lab Honored by Chemical Science
May 8, 2023
Cover of Chemical Science chosen from Professor Odom's Lab
Rashmi Jena from Prof. Odom’s group prepared cover art for the journal Chemical Science.
The recent article from the Odom, Demir, and McCracken groups on “A rare isocyanide
derived from an unprecedented neutral Yttrium(II) bis(amide) complex” in now in print.
In this work, the Odom group isolated the first neutral yttrium(II) complex, isostructural
to previously reported U(NHAr*)2. To stabilize this divalent state, the ligand uses π-aromatic coordination that electronically
and sterically stabilizes the metal center. It is noteworthy that Y(II) reacts with
tBuNC as a radical donor, resulting in the formation of an unusual yttrium isocyanide
complex, CNY(NHAr*)2. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first structurally characterized transition
metal isocyanide complex.
This image depicts all the important aspect of the manuscript:
The TV displays a structure of low valent yttrium(II) complex as a breaking news on
OmC news channel (OmC = organometallics).
The wall has a painting that shows the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) of a
metal radical, while a floor rug with CV design adds an elegant touch.
The flower vase features d-orbital shaped flowers with "d1" written on the box.
Two starting materials, trimethylacetonitrile and t-butyl isocyanide, are lying on
the wooden rack below the TV, and they react with the molecule on the TV to give Yttrium
isocyanide. The final product is neatly arranged on a coffee table in the form of
a jigsaw puzzle.
Several books on organometallic chemistry are lying around, and the clock shows temperature
of 25 degrees Celsius at which the molecule is stable. A coffee mug with the initials
of the artist/Rashmi
Professor Aaron Odom (left) and group member Rashmi Jena (right)
and a cute cat lounging in the room add a homey vibe.
This cover art is inspired by Rashmi’s living room, and she would like to thank her
friends Saroshan and Ernesto for helping her in this creative journey.
This work was done in collaboration with Florian Benner, Tj Delano, Dr. Daniel Holmes,
Professor John McCracken and Professor Selvan Demir.
Read the article here: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2023/sc/d3sc00171g
