Department of Chemistry
University of Louisville
2320 South Brook Street
Louisville, KY 40292

Phone Numbers:
(502) 852-6798 (phone)
(502) 852-8149 (fax)

Phone: 502-852-5977
dorothy.gibson@louisville.edu

Our research interests are in transition metal organometallic chemistry which bridges organic and inorganic chemistry. Small molecule activation is one area of intense research activity where organometallic chemistry can play a role, for example in catalytic processes involving CO and CO₂. The fixation of these small molecules is important in establishing synthetic routes to organic compounds that have traditionally been derived from petroleum, including hydrocarbons and alcohols that can be used as fuels. Particular efforts are directed towards CO₂ fixation since this greenhouse gas is strongly implicated in global warming. Our current efforts involve ruthenium and rhenium polypyridine complexes with C₁ ligands which may be catalyst precursors or intermediates in catalytic processes. Synthesis, structural characterization and reactivity studies are being done in order to design effective catalysts.

Synthesis and Characterization of Ruthenium(II) Hydrido and Hydroxo Complexes Bearing the 2,6-Bis(di-tert-butylphosphinomethyl)pyridine Ligand
 Dorothy H. Gibson, Chandi Pariya and Mark S. Mashuta, Organometallics, 2004, 23, 2510

fac, 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine)triphenyltin(II) rhenium(I), Dorothy H. Gibson, Mark S. Mashuta and Xiaolong Yin,
Acta. Cryst. 2004, C60, m366

Synthesis and Reactions of fac[Re(dmbpy)(CO)₃X] (dmbpy = 4,4'-Dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine; X = COOH, CHO) and Their Derivatives
Dorothy H. Gibson, Xiaolong Yin, Haiyang He and Mark S. Mashuta
Organometallics, 2003, 22, 337-346

Reactivity and Structure of Complexes of Small Molecules: Carbon Dioxide
Dorothy H. Gibson
Comprehensive Coordination Chemistry-II,  2003, Vol. 1, Section 1.30, p. 595

μ-Hydroxo-bis[(4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine)tricarbonylrhenium(I)]perrhenate acetone hemisolvate Dorothy H. Gibson, Mark S. Mathuta and Xiaolong
Acta. Cryst., 2003, E59, m911

Hydride Donor Abilities and Bond Dissociation Free Energies of Transition Metal Formyl Complexes
William E. Ellis, Alex Miedaner, Calvin J. Curtis, Dorothy H. Gibson and Daniel L. DuBois
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2002, 124, 1926-1932.