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Gregory S. Girolami

Profile picture for Gregory S. Girolami

Contact Information

Department of Chemistry
University of Illinois
A526 CLSL, Box 4-6
600 South Mathews Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
William H. and Janet G. Lycan Professor of Chemistry, and Director of Graduate Studies

Biography

Professor Girolami received his B.S. degrees in chemistry and physics from the University of Texas at Austin and his Ph.D. degree from the University of California at Berkeley. Thereafter, he was a NATO postdoctoral fellow with Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson at Imperial College of Science and Technology, and joined the Illinois faculty in 1983.

Research Interests

synthesis of transition metal complexes and their use as catalysts, as precursors for the chemical vapor deposition of thin films, and as building blocks for novel magnetic materials; metal-organic chemical vapor deposition; organometallic chemistry and catalysis; synthesis of new molecular magnets

Research Description

We are primarily interested in the synthesis, properties, and reactivity of new inorganic, organometallic, and solid state species. Much of our research relates to one of four areas: mechanistic studies of organometallic reactions such as the activation of alkanes, the synthesis of new "molecule-based" magnetic materials, the chemical vapor deposition of thin films from "designed" molecular precursors, and the design of an artificial photosynthetic center.

Awards and Honors

Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award
Sloan Foundation Fellowship
Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award
University Scholar Award

Additional Campus Affiliations

William H. and Janet G. Lycan Professor, School of Chemical Sciences
Professor, Chemistry
Director of Graduate Studies, Chemistry

Honors & Awards

Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award
Sloan Foundation Fellowship
Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award
University Scholar Award

Recent Publications

Schmit, C. E., & Girolami, G. S. (2024). Volatile N,N′-dialkyl-β-dialdiminate complexes of magnesium and zinc as possible chemical vapor deposition precursors. Polyhedron, 256, Article 116985. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2024.116985

Abelson, J. R., Girolami, G. S., Liu, S., Mohimi, E., & Zhang, Z. (2023). Area Selective Cvd Of Metallic Films Using Precursor Gases And Inhibitors. (U.S. Patent No. 11584986).

Canova, K. L., Souqui, L., Girolami, G. S., & Abelson, J. R. (2023). Using metal precursors to passivate oxides for area selective deposition. Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces and Films, 41(3), Article 033407. https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0002413

Caroff, C. M., & Girolami, G. S. (2023). Structural and Spectroscopic Studies of Steric and Electronic Substituent Effects in a Series of Magnesium Aminodiboranates Mg[(BH3)2NMeR]2. Inorganic Chemistry, 62(7), 3116-3122. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c03963

Dunbar, A. C., Gozum, J. E., Lin, W., Flores, V. J., & Girolami, G. S. (2023). Synthesis and Characterization of Ether Adducts of Thorium Tetrahydroborate Th(BH4)4 and Chemical Vapor Deposition of Thorium Boride Thin Films. Inorganic Chemistry, 62(10), 4106-4115. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c03960

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