Chemformation

The Weekly Newsletter of the MIT Chemistry Department

Volume 14, Number 4

January 30, 1998

Next issue: Friday, February 5th. Chemformation is published by the Office of the Department Chairman. The deadline for the next issue is Tuesday, February 2. Please convey items of interest (or mailing list changes) to Linda Earle, Room 18-390, Department of Chemistry, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, 617/253-1803; 617/258-7500 (fax) or e-mail to lkn@mit.edu Back issues of Chemformation can be accessed via the Chemistry Department Website.

Visit the Chemistry Department Website at http://web.mit.edu/chemistry/www/

SEMINAR CALENDAR

Wednesday, February 4, 1998
5:00 p.m. at Harvard, MB23 (Pfizer Room)
Harvard/MIT Inorganic Colloquia

Professor Robert Morris
University of Toronto
"Short and Long Hydrogen-Hydrogen Bonds in Inorganic Chemistry"

Thursday, February 5, 1998
5:00 p.m, in Room 6-120
Refreshments @ 4:30 in 6-233
Harvard/MIT Physical Chemistry Seminar at MIT

Professor Paul Barbara
University of Minnesota
"NSOM and Single Molecule Spectroscopy of Organic Thin Films"

Tuesday, February 10, 1998
4:00 p.m. in Room 2-105
Refreshments @ 3:30 in 6-233

Professor Bret Jackson
University of MA at Amherst
Topic TBA

Wednesday, February 11, 1998
4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120
Seminar in Inorganic Chemistry
Refreshments @ 3:30 in 6-321

Professor John Groves
Princeton University
"The Chemistry and Biology of Peroxynitrite"

Thursday, February 12, 1998
4:00 p.m. in Room 4-163
Special Organometallic Seminar
Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. in 6-321

Professor Ulrich Schubert
Institute of Inorganic Chemistry
Technical University of Vienna
"Activation of Silicon-Element and Tin Element Bonds by Transition Metal Complexes"

Wednesday, February 18, 1998
4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120
Seminar in Inorganic Chemistry
Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. outside 6-120

Chris Morse
MIT (Davison Group)
"Polyaryl Chemistry of Rhenium and Technetium"

Wednesday, February 25, 1998
4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120
Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. outside 6-120
Seminar in Inorganic Chemistry

Carlos Navas
MIT (Tuller Group- Materials Science)
"Mixed Ionic/Electronic Conductivity in Layerec Oxides: Effect of Doping in SR₃Ti₂₀₇"

Thursday, February 26, 1998
4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120
Seminar in Organic Chemistry
3:30 p.m. in 18-490

Professor Dale Boger
Scripps Research Institute
"Azadiene Diels-Alder Reactions: Scope and Applications"

Department Computer User Group Meeting Announcement

All members of the Chemistry department are invited to the department computer users group meeting, to be held Thursday, February 5, 1998 from 12 - 1 P.M. in the Norris Room, 18-490. This meeting will feature a talk on the topic of computer security covering the Macintosh and PC platforms, then going into detail with UNIX systems security.

Please email Gigi at lirot@mit.edu with any questions or comments, or to be added to the email list for these announcements.

Schlumberger Recruiting in March

Schlumberger Dowell, Houston, TX. Recruiting in Department on March 9, 1998. Looking for PhDs and Postdocs with experience in at least two areas. Candidates preferably would have some wet-chemistry experience. Recruiter will be Dr. Ben Palmer, who postdocted with Professor Wrighton.Sign-up sheet on Placement Board outside of 18-390.

GEO Is Sponsoring Tax informationWorkshop for Graduate Students who are US Citizens and Resident Aliens

A workshop will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 1998 from 2 to 4 pm in Room #10-250. A formal presentation will be followed by a Q&A session during which students will have the opportunity to ask specific questions regarding taxation policies on Fellowships and RA&TA's. Federal and State forms will be available in the lobby of 10-250 before, during and immediately following the workshop. Please contact: Brima A. Wurie, Administrator for Fellowship/Grant Programs, MIT, Graduate Education Office, 77 Massachusetts Avenue Room 3-136A, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 Telephone is (617) 253-1958 Fax is (617) 253-5620 or by Email: wurie@mit.edu

P.S. A separate workshop will be conducted for international students. Please contact Maria Brennan in the International Students Office, Room 5-106, ext. 3-3795, for further information.

Corning Foundation Invites Graduate Students to Participate in Fellowship Program!

The Corning Foundation has invited the Department to again participate in the Foundation's Science Fellowship Program. For the 1998-99 academic year, Corning is offering up to $25,000 in support of a pre-doctoral fellowship in chemistry. Applications must include a one-page description of your research activities, including biographical information, academic record, a curriculum vitae, and a statement of support from your Ph.D. advisor. You must be involved in research that directly relates to one of the following technologies listed below. The department Graduate Committee will review the applications and choose a candidate. Please submit all applications to Professor Dietmar Seyferth, Room 4-382A by February 6th, 1998.

Glass and glass ceramics: Glass and glass-ceramic compositions; glass melting and forming; and semi-conductor device materials. Optics and photonics: Optical physics; materials and design; guided optics; components and associated process research. Cellular ceramics: Cellular ceramic composition and extrusion processes and ceramic materials. Polymers: Polymer formation and processing in support of new products and existing product extensions. Surfaces and thin films: Thick and thin films; surfaces and interfacial chemistry; with supporting materials research. Machine research: Concept engineering for the development of high precision machines. Characterization sciences: New analytical processes and advanced characterization of chemical, physical, optical, structural and morphological properties. Process modeling and measurement: Mathematical, physical, chemical and molecular modeling research.

Glass Blowing Services Available

Bob DiGiacomo will be coming in on Wednesdays or Thursdays to pick up any glass blowing work that you may have available. Please bring any work to room 6-031 or call Ed Udas or John Annese at 3-4505. Bob will do the work on a first-come, first-served basis.

Help Get Organized!

Call Ed Udas at 253-4505 or stop by room 6-026 if students, faculty or staff need help in organizing their MIT space.

Postdoctoral Fellowships

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN: Postgraduate research opportunity exists in chemistry to work on the Savannah River Site in Aiken, SC. Contact their website at: http://www.orau.gov/orise.htm
The Chemical Technology Division of Argonne National Laboratory is seeking candidates for a postdoctoral position in the area of heterogeneous catalysis. The position entails the synthesis, testing and characterization of reforming catalysts that are used in conjunction with fuel cells. The desired candidate will have a degree in either chemistry or chemical engineering with a strong emphasis on heterogeneous catalysis. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in electron microscopy and/or XAFS applied to heterogeneous catalysis. The position is initially for one year with a possibility for yearly renewal up to three years. Candidates must have received their Ph.D.not more thanyears prior to the start date of the appointment and should have an outstanding record in experimental catalysis and a strong commitment to full-time research. The position is located at the Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago, IL. For additional technical information, please contact Chris Marshall (630-252-4310 or clmarshall@anl.gov). To apply, please send curriculum vitae and the names and addresses of three references to Christopher L. Marshall, Research Scientist, Chemical Technology Division National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439-4837 Argonne is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
Position; Visitng Assistant professor Conditions: The monthly salary is about $300,000, depends on his/her career. The total income (including tax) is estimated to about $5,500,000 when the work continues from April 1, 1998 to March 31, 1999. This includes several supports. The position is closed in March 1999 even if the starting is delayed. The travel money to Sapporo will be refunded, but the cost for leaving Sapporo is not paid. Area: Surface chemistry We are concerned with desorption dynamics of products in both thermal and photolytic CO oxidation on stepped platinum surfaces. I am interested especially in the relation between desorption dynamics and surface structures. We have now four UHV apparatus. (1) The first is used for thermal desorption combined with TOF measurements. This works now for TOF measurements in CO oxidation on Pd(110) at the steady state. In several months, TOF measurements of N2 will be started during thermal decomposition of NO on Pt(100) or Pd(110). (2) The second is for velocity and infrared measurements at the steady state conditions. This is used now for TOF measurements in CO oxidation on a stepped surface. The site preference is observed to switch quickly around critical CO pressures where the kinetics changes.(3) The third is for angle-resolved thermal desorption. This is now used for laser (ArF, 193 nm)-induced desorption. The desorption is probably induced by hot-atoms emitted from oxygen admolecules. The spatial distribution is very different from that in the thermal reaction.(4) The last is combined with a XeCl laser for oxygen photo-desorption studies on Pt(112)=(s)3(111)x(001). The observation of hot-atoms with less energy is expected at 308 nm. Anyone wishing to apply should be send me their C.V by e-mail or fax at the addresses below as sonn as possible. Professor Tatsuo Matsushima Division Surface Molecular Dynamics Tel/Fax: 81(Japan)-11-706-3695 (backup fax: 81-11-709-4748 e-mail: tatmatsu@cat.hokudai.ac.jp
There is a postdoctoral associate position available immediately in the research group of Prof. Jim Lisy at the University of Illinois. Individuals with interests (or experience) in mass spectrometry and/or infrared spectroscopy, would be able to make an immediate impact. Our research group has been at the forefront of research on ionic clusters, using mass-selective infrared spectroscopy and Molecular Dynamics/Monte Carlo simulation methods. Our laboratory is well-equipped with multiple ion cluster machines and tunable infrared laser sources. In addition, we have two SGI workstations: an Indigo 2, and a dual processor Octane, for the simulation studies. We are presently expanding our capabilities to study larger clusters, as well as multiply-charged ions. Of particular interest are systems which exhibit size-selective binding or conformations. The initial appointment is for one year, but funds are available for extension based upon mutual agreement. Applicants should arrange to send their C.V.'s to the address below using conventional or electronic mail. Names and addresses of two to three references should also be provided at this time. Professor James M. Lisy | Department of Chemistry Box 7-6 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Ave.Urbana, IL 61801 US phone: (217)333-2898 FAX: (217)244-3186 mail: j-lisy@uiuc.edu

Positions

Atomic Personnel, P.O Box 11244, Philadelphia, PA: has a client in Central Florida who seeks to hire a food chemist. Salary is in the $44K-$49K range depending on background plus benefits. Please fax cv to: Atomic Personnel, Inc. 215-885-4225, phone is: 215-885-4223.
Invention Machine, Boston, MA: Seeks Technical Writers/Editors for Invention Machine Corporation to assist in writing and editing reports and other documents that represent the results of engineering consulting projects. Compensation is $20-30 per hour depending on experience. Contact: Ms. Karen Stevenson: at 617-305-9250 x303 or fax to 617-305-9254 or e-mail at: kim_stevenson@invention-machine.com

Index of Chemformation Back Issues

Wednesday, February 4, 1998 5:00 p.m. at Harvard, MB23 (Pfizer Room) Harvard/MIT Inorganic Colloquia	Professor Robert Morris University of Toronto "Short and Long Hydrogen-Hydrogen Bonds in Inorganic Chemistry"
Thursday, February 5, 1998 5:00 p.m, in Room 6-120 Refreshments @ 4:30 in 6-233 Harvard/MIT Physical Chemistry Seminar at MIT	Professor Paul Barbara University of Minnesota "NSOM and Single Molecule Spectroscopy of Organic Thin Films"
Tuesday, February 10, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 2-105 Refreshments @ 3:30 in 6-233	Professor Bret Jackson University of MA at Amherst Topic TBA
Wednesday, February 11, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Seminar in Inorganic Chemistry Refreshments @ 3:30 in 6-321	Professor John Groves Princeton University "The Chemistry and Biology of Peroxynitrite"
Thursday, February 12, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 4-163 Special Organometallic Seminar Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. in 6-321	Professor Ulrich Schubert Institute of Inorganic Chemistry Technical University of Vienna "Activation of Silicon-Element and Tin Element Bonds by Transition Metal Complexes"
Wednesday, February 18, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Seminar in Inorganic Chemistry Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. outside 6-120	Chris Morse MIT (Davison Group) "Polyaryl Chemistry of Rhenium and Technetium"
Wednesday, February 25, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. outside 6-120 Seminar in Inorganic Chemistry	Carlos Navas MIT (Tuller Group- Materials Science) "Mixed Ionic/Electronic Conductivity in Layerec Oxides: Effect of Doping in SR₃Ti₂₀₇"
Thursday, February 26, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Seminar in Organic Chemistry 3:30 p.m. in 18-490	Professor Dale Boger Scripps Research Institute "Azadiene Diels-Alder Reactions: Scope and Applications"