Category Archives: Current Research
{AC}The area of Boron cluster compounds forms a bridge between organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry and the chemistry of metal ions. Currently the significance of work with deltahedral boron compounds lies in two areas:
a) in revealing the principals determining the chemical behavior of electron-deficient compoundsb) in recognizing the particular properties of boron-cluster compounds that are of most use for science and in practical applications.
The research group of Inorganic Materials at the Materials Science Institute of Barcelona of the CSIC aims at understanding the molecule/ion and molecule/molecule interaction and to draw possible applications of it. ACBRThis phenomenon is applied in many aspects but in what concerns the interests of the group it is applied to transport phenomena, selective ion recognition, immobilization/liberation of ions and homogeneous catalysis.
Usually the group designs, synthesizes and characterizes boron cluster derivatives, looking for their applications in three different fields:
Catalysis, Light Harvesting and Energy Storage
Biomedicine: Pharmacophores, Transport/Drug Delivery and Diagnostics/Biosensors
Boron-Based Molecular and Inorganic Materials{/AC}
Ion Recognition
Ion recognition, thus chemical sensors based on Ion Selective Electrodes, or ISFET’s, Ion Selective Field Effect Transistors; transport membranes based on Supported Liquid Membranes (SLM’s) and Fixed Site Complexing Membranes (FSCM’s). Ion Selective Electrodes: We have developed a new material … Continue reading
Conducting Organic Polymers
Conducting organic polymers. Polypyrrole and polyaniline, doped with anionic boron clusters, are produced either chemically or electrochemically to be used in water desalting and for sensor devices making benefit of their electrical and electrochromic properties. The [NBu4]+ and [PBu4]+ … Continue reading
Homogeneous Catalysis
The group is engaged in the synthesis and chemistry of cage compounds incorporating boron, carbon and transition metals which are usually bonded by S, P, and B-H bonds from the cluster. The spatial and electronic caracteristics of the cluster provide … Continue reading
Medical Chemistry
Boron cluster are developed as boron anti-tumor agents for BNCT – Boron Neutron Capture Therapy – radioimaging/ radiotherapy with iodine containing B-compounds and X-Ray contrast. BNCT: The stable isotope of boron 10B (19.8% natural abundance) readily captures neutrons, while … Continue reading
Ionic Liquids
Ionic Liquids (ILs) are liquids at temperatures below 100ºC that are entirely made of ions. They typically consist of nitrogen-containing organic cations and inorganic anions. Typical cations are nitrogen substituted imidazolium and pyridinium cations. Typical anions are Cl–, Cl–/AlCl3, … Continue reading