Postdoc

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Advisor: Prof. Christopher C. Cummins

Dr. rer. nat. (summa cum laude)

Max-Planck-Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry (previously MPI for Radiation Chemistry) Mülheim a. d. Ruhr, Germany, Jan. 1998
Advisor: Prof. Karl Wieghardt
Dissertation: "Molecular and Electronic Structure of High-Valent Transition Metal Nitrido Complexes"

Diploma in Chemistry

Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany, May 1995
Advisor: Prof. Karl Wieghardt

research fellowships and experience

Jan. 2006 - present
Professor at FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg (Chair of Inorganic Chemistry II)

Jan. 2001 - 2005
Assistant Professor at UCSD

Oct. 1998 - Oct. 2000
Postdoctoral Fellow, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) at MIT with Prof. Christopher C. Cummins

Feb. 1998 - Oct. 1998
Research Fellowship, Max-Planck-Society

July 1995 - Jan. 1998
Ph.D. Fellowship, Max-Planck-Society

awards and professional affiliations

Alfred P. Sloan Award, 2004/2005

Faculty Career Development Award, Academic Senate, 2003

Hellman Fellow, Chris & Warren Hellman Young Faculty Award, 2002

DFG Postdoctoral Fellowship, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, 1999/2000

American Chemical Society, Member (since 1997)

German Chemical Society, Member (since 1995)

American Nuclear Society, Member (2001 - 2005)

Currently Reviewer for J. Am. Chem. Soc., Inorganic Chemistry, Science, Organometallics, Chem. Commun., Dalton Transactions, Polyhedron, Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, Angewandte Chemie, and National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), Volkswagen Stiftung

Volume Editor for Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry-III
(Volume 2: alkaline and alkaline earth metals, Cu and Zn group)

invited lectures and presentations

2007 - present

Small Molecule Activation at Low-Valent Uranium Complexes Leading to
Charge-Separation and Chemical Transformation
Mie University, Tsu-Mie, Japan. November, 2007. Invited Seminar

Tripodal Carbene Chelators for Small Molecule Activation at
Electron-Rich Iron and Cobalt Centers
Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan. November, 2007.
Invited Seminar

Small Molecule Activation at Low-Valent Uranium Complexes Leading to
Charge-Separation and Chemical Transformation
International Workshop on "Bioinorganic and Organometallic Perspectives
in Activation of Small Molecules"
Institute for Molecular Sciences (IMS), Okazaki, Japan. November, 2007. Invited Talk

Small Molecule Activation at Low-Valent Uranium Complexes Leading to
Charge-Separation and Chemical Transformation
John van Geuns Lecture, Van’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences,
University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. November 2007. Invited Talk

Custom-Tailored Ligands for Uranium Coordination Chemistry: Exploration of Reactivity and Electronic Structure.
ACTINET Meeting, Avignon, France.  October 2007, Invited Talk

Coordination Chemistry at Reactive Uranium Complexes:  From Alkane Coordination to CO2 Activation & N/O-Atom Transfer.
Heron Island Conference on Reactive Intermediates and Unusual Molecules (Heron4). Heron Islands, Queensland, Australia.  July 2007. Invited Talk

Chemie zwischen Phobie und Begeisterung: Aktivierung kleiner Moleküle an elektronenreichen Komplexen des Urans.
Universität Bielefeld. GDCh-Vortrag.  June 2007

Coordination Chemistry at Reactive Uranium Complexes:  From Alkane Coordination to CO2 Activation & N/O-Atom Transfer.
Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination (LCC/CNRS) / Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse III, France.  June 2007

Coordination Chemistry at Reactive Uranium Complexes:  From Alkane Coordination to CO2 Activation & N/O-Atom Transfer.
Universität Regensburg.  Anorganisch-Chemisches Kolloquium.  June 2007

Uranium Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture
Freie Universität Berlin.  Anorganisch-Chemisches Kolloquium.  June 2007

Nuclear Materials in Inorganic Chemistry: A Story of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
Department of Materials Science & Engineering, FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg, May 2007. Invited Seminar

Uranium Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München.  Kolloquium Anorganische Chemie.  Mai 2007

Small Molecule Activation at Uranium Complexes Leading to Charge-Separation and Chemical Transformation.
F. Albert Cotton Award Symposium.  A symposium at the 233rd National Meeting of the ACS.  Chicago, Illinois, USA. March 2007.  Invited Talk

2006

Aktivierung kleiner Moleküle an reaktiven Koordinationsverbindungen des Urans.
Anorganisches Kolloquium.  Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Chemischen Institute. Bonn, Germany. November 2006.  Invited Talk

Small Molecule Activation at Reactive Uranium Coordination Complexes Leading to Charge-Separation and Chemical Transformation.
Workshop on the Chemistry of Actinide Molecular Clusters.  Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU).  Karlsruhe, Germany.  November 2006.  Invited Talk

Alkane Coordination, CO2 Activation, and Nitrogen-Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing Low- and High-Valent Uranium Coordination Complexes.
Symposium.  University of Erlangen. Germany.  October 2006. Invited Talk

Alkane Coordination, CO2 Activation, and Nitrogen-Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing Low- and High-Valent Uranium Coordination Complexes.
Inorganic Seminar.  University of Kanazawa. Kanazawa, Japan.  September 2006. Invited Talk

Alkane Coordination, CO2 Activation, and Nitrogen-Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing Low- and High-Valent Uranium Coordination Complexes.
13. Vortragstagung der Wöhler-Vereiningung für Anorganische Chemie. Aachen, Germany. September 2006.  Invited Talk

Synthetic Chemistry at the Bottom of the Periodic Table: A Story of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.
Nuclear Chemistry in Context. 
A symposium at the 232nd National Meeting of the ACS.  San Francisco, California, USA. September 2006. Invited Talk.  

Koordinationschemie an reaktiven Verbindungen des Urans: Eine Geschichte wie Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.
Antrittsvorlesung, Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät II der Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. Juli 2006

Übergangsmetall- und Actonoidkomplexe mit sterisch anspruchsvollen Liganden: Neue Koordinationsmodi und Aktivierung kleiner Moleküle.
Kolloquium für anorganische und analytische Chemie.  Philipps-Universität Marburg, Fachbereich Chemie.  Hamburg, Germany.  Juni 2006.  Invited Talk

Aktivierung kleiner Moleküle an elektronenreichen Übergangsmetall- und Actonoidkomplexen.
Anorganisches Kolloquium.  Universität Hamburg, Fachbereich Chemie.  Hamburg, Germany.  Juni 2006.  Invited Talk

Control of Structure & Reactivity by Ligand Design: Applications to Small Molecule Activation Chemistry.
Symposium. Karl Wieghardt's Inorganic Chemistry ACS Award. ACS Spring Meeting Atlanta, GA. March 2006.

Uranium Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture.
Seminar. UCLA. Los Angeles, CA. March 2006. Invited Talk

Looking at the Bright Side of an Element from Hell: Coordination Chemistry at Reactive Uranium Centers.
Seminar. Michigan State University. East Lansing, MI. Feb. 2006. Invited Talk

Coordination Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Complexes: From Alkane Coordination to CO2 Activation & N-Atom Transfer.
Seminar. Northwestern University. Chicago, IL. Feb. 2006. Invited Talk

Uranium Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture.
Seminar. University of Chicago. Chicago, IL. Jan. 2006. Invited Talk

2005

Uranium Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture.
Seminar. Texas A&M University. College Station, TX. Sept. 2005. Invited Talk

Alkane Coordination, CO/CO2 Activation & Nitrogen Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing Low- and High-Valent Uranium Coordination Complexes.
Seminar. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Berkeley, CA. May 2005. Invited Talk

Coordination Chemistry with the Heaviest Element, Uranium: A Story of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.
Departmental Seminar. University of Arkansas. May 2005. Invited Talk

Alkane Coordination, CO/CO2 Activation & Nitrogen Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing Low- and High-Valent Uranium Coordination Complexes.
2005 DOE-BES Separations and Heavy Element Contractor's Meeting. Rockville, MD. April 2005

SFB 583: Redox-Active Metal Complexes: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture.
Symposium. University of Erlangen - Nuremberg, Germany. March 2005. Invited Talk

Redox-Active Transition and Actinide Metal Complexes for Small Molecule Activation: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture.
Departmental Seminar. University of California, Irvine. February 2005. Invited Talk

Coordination Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Centers: From Alkane Coordination to CO/CO2 Activation & Nitrogen Atom Transfer.
Seminar. Technical University Munich, Germany. January 2005. Invited Talk

2004

Small Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Seminar. Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain. November 2004. Invited Talk.

Small Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Seminar. Universitat Jaume I, Castellon, Spain. November 2004. Invited Talk.

Small Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Organic Chemistry Seminar. University of Zuerich, Switzerland. November 2004. Invited Talk.

Small Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Seminar. Max-Planck-Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry, Muelheim/Ruhr, Germany. November 2004. Invited Talk.

Aktivierung kleiner Molekuele an elektronenreichen Uebergangsmetall- und Urankomplexen.
Group Seminar (Prof. Huttner). Ruprecht-Karls-Universitaet Heidelberg, Germany. November 2004. Invited Seminar.

Uebergangsmetall- und Actinoidkomplexe mit sterisch anspruchsvollen Liganden: Neue Koordinationsmodi und Aktivierung kleiner Molekuele.
Inorganic Chemistry Colloquium. Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet Freiburg, Freiburg/Breisgau, Germany. November 2004. Invited Talk.

Small Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Inorganic Seminar. Indiana University, Bloomington, IN. October 2004. Invited Talk.

Small Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Inorganic - Electrochemistry Seminar. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. October 2004. Invited Talk.

Small Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Departmental Seminar. University of Delaware, Newark, DE. September 2004. Invited Talk.

Uranium Coordination Chemistry: From Alkane Coordination to CO/CO2 Activation & Nitrogen Atom Transfer Chemistry.
Departmental Seminar. Georgetown University, Goergetown, Washington DC. August 2004. Invited Talk.

Metal Complexes of Novel Tripodal N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands: Synthesis, Structure and Reactivity.
228th ACS National Meeting. Symposium: The Use of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes in Catalysis (Steve Nolan). Philadelphia, PA. August 2004. Invited Talk.

Nitrogen Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing High-Valent Uranium(V) Imido Complexes: The Imdio Functionality as a Nitrogen Source for the Synthesis of Carbodiimides.
XXIst International Conference on Organometallic Chemistry, Vancouver, Canada. July 2004. Oral Presentation.

Gordon Research Conference: Inorganic Chemistry.
Discussion Leader: Structure & Bonding. Salve Regina University, Newport, Rhode Island, July 2004.

NSF/DOE Workshop "Actinide Science for the 21st Century"
Discussion Leader: Actinide Coordination Chemistry, Washington DC, May 2004.

2003

Hot Chemistry with Depleted Uranium: From Carbene and Alkane Coordination to Small Molecule Activation.
Departmental Seminar. Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. November 2003. Invited Talk.

Synthesis and Characterization of Tripodal Carbene Ligands and Their Metal Complexes. Insights into the Electronic Structure of Diaminocarbene Metal Complexes.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar. University of California, Riverside. November 2003. Invited Talk.

Coordination Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Centers: From Carbene and Alkane Coordination to Small Molecule Activation. Anything is Possible.
Group Seminar (Prof. R.H. Holm) Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. October 2003.

Coordination Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Centers: From Carbene and Alkane Coordination to Small Molecule Activation. Anything is Possible.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. October 2003. Invited Talk.

Coordination Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Centers: From Carbene and Alkane Coordination to Small Molecule Activation. Anything is Possible.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar. University of California, Santa Barbara. October 2003. Invited Talk.

Coordination Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Centers: From Carbene and Alkane Coordination to Small Molecule Activation. Anything is Possible.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar. University of California, Berkeley. October 2003. Invited Talk.

Coordination Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Centers: From Alkane Coordination to CO/CO2 Activation.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar/Minority Access to Research in Chemistry (MARC). University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, September 2003. Invited Talk.

Engendering Highly Reactive Uranium Species with a Single Pocket for Reactivity: A Synthetic, Spectroscopic, and Computational Study.
5th International Conference on f-Element Chemistry 2003, Geneve, Switzerland, August 2003. Invited Talk.

Engendering Highly Reactive Uranium Species with a Single Pocket for Reactivity: A Synthetic, Spectroscopic, and Computational Study.
Inorganic Chemistry Gordon Research Conference 2003, Newport, Rhode Island, July 2003. Invited Poster Award Talk. have a look @ it here

Engendering Highly Reactive Uranium Species with a Single Pocket for Reactivity: A Synthetic, Spectroscopic, and Computational Study.
Plutonium Futures 2003-The Science Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 2003. Invited Talk.

2002

Metal Complexes of Novel Tripodal N-Heterocycliuc Carbene Ligands: A Combined Synthetic, Spectroscopic, and Computational Study.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, Westfaelische-Wilhelms-Universitaet Muenster, Germany, Dec. 2002.

Uranium Tris-Aryloxide Derivatives Supported by Triazacyclononane: Engendering a Reactive Uranium(III) Center with a Single Pocket for Reactivity.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, Westfaelische-Wilhelms-Universitaet Muenster, Germany, Dec. 2002.

Hot Chemistry in the Meyer Lab: The Wieghardt-Cummins Fusion Chemistry.
Lecture in Honor of Prof. Karl Wieghardt's 60th Birthday, Max-Planck-Institute for Radiation Chemistry, Muelheim a. d. Ruhr, Germany, July 2002.

pre 2000

Molecular and Electronic Structure of Simple High-Valent Cr, Mn, Fe, and U complexes.

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, Yale University, New Haven, CT, Jan. 2000.

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, Jan. 2000.

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, Dec. 1999.

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, Dec. 1999.

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, University of California, Davis, CA, Dec. 1999.

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, University of California, Berkeley, CA, Dec. 1999.

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, Nov. 1999.

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, Nov. 1999.

Group Seminar (Prof. Richard H. Holm), Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, Oct. 1999.

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, Sept. 1999

A New Generation of High-Valent Nitrido Complexes - Synthesis, Molecular & Electronic Structure.

Royal Danish Chemical Society, Inorganic Section, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Dec. 1997

Molecular and Electronic Structure of High-Valent Nitrido-chromium and -manganese Complexes.

Inorganic Seminar, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, Aug. 1997

Scientific Collaboration on Single-Crystal Absorption Spectroscopy.
Prof. Dr. H.U. Güdel, University of Bern, Switzerland, Feb. 1997

conferences & poster contributions

August 2004
228th ACS National Meeting. Symposium: The Use of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes in Catalysis (Steve Nolan). Philadelphia, PA.
Metal Complexes of Novel Tripodal N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands: Synthesis, Structure and Reactivity.

July 2004
XXIst International Conference on Organometallic Chemistry, Vancouver, Canada.
Nitrogen Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing High-Valent Uranium(V) Imido Complexes: The Imdio Functionality as a Nitrogen Source for the Synthesis of Carbodiimides.

July 2004
German-American Symposium, Frontiers of Chemistry, Kloster Seeon, Munich, Germany.
CO/CO2 Activation & Nitrogen Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing High-Valent Uranium(V) Imido Complexes: The Imdio Functionality as a Nitrogen Source for the Synthesis of Carbodiimides.

August 2003
5th International Conference on f-Elements (ICFE), Geneva, Switzerland
Engendering Highly Reactive Uranium Species with a Single Pocket for Reactivity: A Synthetic, Spectroscopic, and Computational Study.

July 2003
Inorganic Chemistry Gordon Conference, Newport, Rhode Island
Engendering Highly Reactive Uranium Species with a Single Pocket for Reactivity: A Synthetic, Spectroscopic, and Computational Study.

July 2003
Organometallic Chemistry Gordon Conference, Newport, Rhode Island
Tripodal N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands and Their Metal Complexes: Synthesis, Structure, and Bonding.

Engendering Highly Reactive Uranium Species with a Single Pocket for Reactivity: A Synthetic, Spectroscopic, and Computational Study.

A New Entry Into N-Heterocyclic Carbene Chemistry: Synthesis and Characterization of Tris-Carbene Complexes of Thallium(I).

August 2002
224th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA
A Traditional Ligand for a Non-Traditional Metal: Uranium Triazacyclononane Chemistry

July 2002
XXXVth International Conference on Coordination Chemistry, Heidelberg (Germany)
Exploring New Modes of Uranium Reactivity: Uranium Triazacyclononane Chemistry

July 1999
Gordon Research Conference "Inorganic Chemistry", Newport, RI

Jan. 1999
Gordon Research Conference "Metals in Biology", Ventura, CA

June 1998
ICCC XXXIII, Florence, Italy

Oct. 1996
EICS VI, Karrebæksminde, Denmark

Sept. 1995
ICBIC VII, Lübeck, Germany