Christine de Denus
Christine M de DenusAssociate Professor of ChemistryChair, ChemistryCo-Chair, Biochemistry
Joined faculty in 1999
Postdoctoral, Pennsylvania State University
Ph.D., University of Manitoba
B.S., University of Winnipeg
Contact Information
Scholarly Interest
Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry
Synthesis and Characterization of Molecular Wire Candidates
Research
Research Students in the Past Few Years:
Summer 2021-Current: John Canniff, Tess Weber, Marlayna DiFante
Christina Mitrow 2020
Sarah Linsner 2019
Aaron Weitgenant 2018
Casey Kania 2017
Tiara Sivells 2017
Courses Taught
Introductory General chemistry (CHEM 110)
Intermediate General Chemistry (CHEM 120)
Introductory Inorganic Chemistry (CHEM 318)
Organic Structural Analysis (CHEM 445)
Forensic Science (CHEM 302)
Forensic Science for non-majors (CHEM 102)
Junior/Senior Chemistry Seminar (CHEM 361/461)
Organic Chemistry I (CHEM 240)
Organic Chemistry II (CHEM 241)
Publications
(Note: HWS Undergradute co-authors in bold)
P. Hazendonk, C. R. de Denus, A. Iuga, P. Cahoon, B. Nilsson, D. Iuga. "A Morphological Study of Poly[Bis(Trifluoroethoxy)phosphazene] Using Solid-State NMR: Introducing Domain Selective 1H and 19F Decouples 13C MAS NMR", J. Inorg. and Organomet. Polym. 2006, 16, 343-357.
H. R. Allcock, E. S. Powell, A. E. Maher, R. L. Prange and C. R. de Denus. "Telechelic Polyphosphazenes: Reaction of Living Poly(dichlorophosphazene) Chains with Alkoxy and Aryloxy Phosphoranimines," Macromolecules, 2004, 37, 3635-3641.
C. R. de Denus, P. Baker, J. Toner, S. McKevitt, E. K. Todd and A. S. Abd-El-Aziz. "Electrochemical Investigations of Oligomers and Polymers Containing Ruthenium- and Iron-Arene Complexes," Macromol. Symp. 2003, 196, 113-123.
Current and Recent External Grants:
National Science Foundation-Academic Research Infrastructure Program: Recovery and Reinvestment #0963014, $1,130,000 (2010-2013) (de Denus, Button, Curtin, Penn, and Deutschlander)
National Science Foundation #0722178, $342,000 (2007-2010): "MRI: Acquisition of an NMR Spectrometer to Maintain Active Undergraduate Education and Research Programs" (with Miller and Pelkey)
American Chemical Society-Petroleum Research Fund, Type G, $35,000 (2004-2007): "Preparation and Investigation of Terpyridine Containing Polymers with Metal Ions Incorporated into the Polymer Backbone"
CUR Summer Student Research Fellowship, $3,500 (2002): "Synthesis of Novel Organometallic Polymers"
National Science Foundation #0116219, $85,395 (2001-2005): "MRI: Acquisition of an Advanced High Performance GPC/SEC Instrument for Polymer Characterization" (with Craig and Parish)
Awards:
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Postdoctoral Fellowship (1997-1999)
NSERC PGS-B Postgraduate Scholarship (1995-1997)
NSERC PGS-A Postgraduate Scholarship (1993-1995)
Sigma Xi, Scientific Research Society, Award for Excellence in Science (1993)
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Member, American Chemical Society (ACS)
Member, Council of Undergraduate Research (CUR)
Member, American Association of University Women (AAUW)
Member, The Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC)
Member, The Canadian Society of Chemistry (CSC)
Reviewer, Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers
Reviewer, International Journal of Science and Technology
Reviewer, Macromolecules
Reviewer, American Chemical Society-Petroleum Research Fund
Reviewer, National Science Foundation
Reviewer, John Wiley and Son
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Research in my group is directed toward the synthesis and characterization of inorganic molecular wire candidates. These materials may find applications in the molecular electronics industry where they could some day be used to replace the silicon chip technology currently found in computers. It is well known that materials that contain metals and/or aromatic rings are able to conduct electricity. My research group has been investigating how the construction of materials that contain large aromatic terpyridine groups held together with Ru, Fe, or Os metal centers behave. We are investigating the preparation of a number of small molecular wire candidates that can be characterized by multinuclear NMR, IR, mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and electrochemistry.