Fall 2009
Lawrence F. Dahl, Noyce Visiting Professor
Ilia Guzei, Noyce Visiting Scholar
Lawrence F. Dahl (pictured, center), Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, along with Ilia Guzei, Director of the X-ray lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, join us to teach a class in the Fall 2009 semester.
The short course "Modern Crystallography and Molecular Symmetry" will develop the fundamental ideas of modern crystallography and molecular symmetry. The class will begin by describing the symmetry of molecules leading up to the development of the Schoenflies and Hermann-Maguin notations of molecular symmetry. The use of crystallographic structural methods to determine molecular structure will then be discussed. Hands-on work with computer-based software to solve structures will be the lab component of the course. These concepts will then be applied to the crystal structures of large clusters of palladium and platinum with metal carbonyl ligands. Dates: Sept. 1 to Oct. 1, 2009. Short course deadlines apply. 2 credit option will include lab. Labs meet on Friday afternoon Sept. 18, Sept. 25, and Oct. 2.
About Lawrence F. Dahl
R.E. Rundle and Hilldale Professor of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Larry Dahl, born on 6/2/29, received his BSc degree (51) from theUniversity of Louisville and his PhD degree (56) from Iowa StateUniversity under the late Robert E. Rundle. In 1957, Larry joined thefaculty at University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he has emerged asone of the world's pioneers in the synthesis, structure, and bonding oftransition metal clusters. Honors include: Sloan (63), Guggenheim (69),N.Y. Acad. Sci. (75), and AAAS (80) fellowships along with W. Hieber(65), E.F. Smith (71), R. Nyholm (85), P.C. Reilly (87), H.W. Davis (89),P. Chini (89), J.C. Bailar (90), K. Nakamoto (94), F. Basolo (95), R.A.Welch (95), G. Stone (97), and H.B. Jonassen (98) lectureships. He wasincluded in the list of 1000 most cited scientists, lSI, 64-78. He was therecipient of the ACS Award in Inorganic Chemistry (74), Senior U.S.Scientist Humboldt Award (85), Honorary Doctoral Degree from Univ. ofLouisville (91), Willard Gibbs Medal (99), and Pioneer Award (Am.Institute of Chemists, 2000). He was elected to the National Academy ofSciences in 1988 and to the American Academy of Arts and Science in1992. He has been the R.E. Rundle Professor of Chemistry at Wisconsinsince 1978 and a Hilldale Professor since 1991. In 1994 he received theHilldale Award in Physical Sciences at UW-Madison.
His group's research in the earlier years extensively involved systematicstudies of small-to-Iarge metal clusters whose geometries were governedprimarily by changes in valence electronic configuration (i.e.,"experimental quantum mechanics"). His group's activities during thelast 15 years have focused mainly on nanosized metal carbonyl clusterspossessing Group 10 (Ni, Pd, Pt) and combined Group 10/Group 11 (Cu,Ag, Au) elements; these include 16 distinctly different close-packed Pdnclusters, the largest one possessing a capped three-shell Pd145 core-geometry,and recently a structurally-related bimetallic Pd-Pt clustercontaining a pseudo-icosahedral Pt-centered four-shell 165 metal-atomcore.
Former group members consist of 95 PhD, 24 MS, and 45 undergraduatestudents together with 15 postdoctoral fellows, 10 Visiting Professors,and three Visiting Chinese Scholars. Current coworkers are Dr. EvgueniMednikov (Asst. Scientist) and one graduate student. Although Larryformally retired last fall, he voluntarily taught first-semester GeneralChemistry to ~350 students and this spring co-taught ChemicalCrystallography with Dr. Ilia Guzei to ~20 students.
Larry hopes to continue research on nanosized metal clusters for severalyears.
