We are pursuing several research fronts rooted in synthetic and physical inorganic chemistry, with emphasis on compounds of importance in electronic and opto-electronic materials, biomimetic chemistry, and energy science.

Our effort in the area of carbon-rich organometallic materials focuses on the synthesis and characterization of conjugated Ru₂-alkynyl compounds. For their materials application, we are also interested in surface immobilization, SAM formation, current-voltage (I-V) characteristics at nanoscale, and second and third order optical nonlinearity of these compounds. Specific aims include:

1. Molecular wires and devices based on monodisperse oligomeric Ru₂-alkynyls
2. Peripheral covalent modifications for supramolecular assembly of metal alkynyl compounds
3. Conjugated and non-conjugated dendrimers of a Ru₂ core for photovoltaic application
4. Hierarchical assemblies of nanoparticles with Ru₂-oligoyne linkers
5. Bioconjugates of Ru₂-alkynyl as sensors (DNA chips) for genomic applications

We are interested in biomimetic chemistry of organophosphorous compounds, including functional models of organophosphorous hydrolases and recognition of phosphate containing metabolites. Also of interest is green oxygenation chemistry of organic sulfides. Specific aims include:

1.  Detoxification and decontamination protocols for both G- and V-type chemical warfare agents
2. Selective binding of phosphate mono- and di-esters with bimetallic complexes
3. Expedient oxygenation of organic sulfides with inexpensive catalysts
4. Effective removal of dibenzothiophene from fossil fuels via oxygenation-extraction strategy

Education

Selected Publications

• Tong Ren, Peripheral Covalent Modification of Inorganic and Organometallic Compounds through C-C Bond Formation Reactions. Chem. Rev. 2008 , 108, 4185-4207.
• Ajit K. Mahapatro, Jiewen Ying, Tong Ren, David B. Janes, Electronic Transport through Ruthenium Based Redox-Active Molecules in Metal-Molecule-Metal Nanogap Junctions. Nano Lett 2008 , 8, 2131-2136.
• Jie-Wen Ying, Antoinette Cordova, Guo-Lin Xu, Tong Ren, Bis-alkynyl Diruthenium Compounds with Build-in Electronic Asymmetry: Toward an Organometallic Aviram-Ratner Diode. Chem. Eur. J. 2007 , 13, 6874-6882.
• Ren, Tong, Diruthenium s-Alkynyl Compounds: A New Class of Conjugated Organometallics. Organometallics 2005 , 24, 4854-4870.