Research in the Hirscher Lab
We are a group of students at Montclair State University who study synthetic inorganic chemistry. Our research focuses on making new molecules out of metals and organic chemicals. These "organometallic" complexes will probably exhibit useful properties, including the storage of energy from sunlight, reactions with atmospheric gases, and aiding in the production of valuable chemical products.
What Motivates Us?
We are motivated by a simple question: "Why?". Studying chemistry bring us closer to understanding the why behind the world we live in. Chemistry helps explain what holds our world together, literally and figuratively. Chemistry is also a venue for creative expression and invention. We anticipate that our work will make a positive impact in our world, either by solving technical problems or creating new fundamental knowledge that will be useful to other scientists. The diverse number of metals (the focus of inorganic chemists) on the periodic table provides many possibilities for new ideas to flourish.
What Do We Do?
In the lab, we are mixing existing chemicals together to make new ones. The goal is to make forms of matter with interesting or unusual properties. We use different techniques to purify and analyze these new chemicals. There are of a lot of different purification techniques involved, including filtration, distillation, crystallization, and chromatography. We spend time making sure we understand the structure of the new molecules, typically by analyzing how they interact with electromagnetic radiation (radio waves, visible-light, X-rays), electrical voltage, and magnetic fields. Then, we test the reactivity of our organometallic complexes, usually by adding new reagents. It is very exciting!