Glen Briand

Professor
Office
Barclay 317
Office hours
By appointment

Biography

Discipline: Inorganic Chemistry

Research Area: Heavy p-Block Metals, Green Chemistry

Publications

“Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Methylindium Imino/Aminophenolates: Comparison to Aluminum Analogues and Reactivity Toward the Coupling Reactions of Carbon Dioxide with Epoxides” Kori A. Andrea, Adam R. Beckett, Glen G. Briand, Sarah A. Martell, Jason Masuda, Kathleen M. Morrison and Emilie M.T. Yammine. Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, 919, 121307 (2020).

Synthesis,Structural Characterization, and Reactivity of (Thiolato)bismuth Complexes as Potential Water-Tolerant Lewis Acid Catalysts Glen G. Briand, Andreas Decken, Whitney E.M.M. Shannon and Eric E. Trevors. Canadian Journal of Chemistry96, 561-569 (2018). (Invited Article, Special Issue to Honour Professor Neil Burford)

"Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity of (Dithiolato)indium Complexes" Timothy S. Anderson, Glen G. Briand, Ralf Brüning, Andreas Decken, Matthew J. Margeson, Heidi M. Pickard and Eric E. Trevors. Polyhedron135, 101-108 (2017).

"Strained Metal Bonding Environments in Methylindium Dithiolates and Their Reactivity as Initiators for the Ring-Opening Polymerization of Cyclic Esters" Glen G. Briand, Stefan A. Cairns, Andreas Decken, Courtney M. Dickie, Thomas I. Kostelnik and Michael P. Shaver. Journal of Organometallic Chemistry806, 22-32 (2016).

Education

BSc Honours - St. Francis Xavier University

PhD (Inorganic Chemistry, Supervisor: Neil Burford) - Dalhousie University

NSERC Post-Doctoral Fellow (Supervisor: Tris Chivers) - University of Calgary

Teaching

Fall 2022

CHEM 1001 - Introductory Chemistry I

CHEM 4361 - Inorganic Chemistry: Structure & Bonding in Main Group Chemistry

Winter 2023

CHEM 3321 - Inorganic Chemistry II: Main Group Elements

Elective courses offered in rotation

CHEM 3161 - Experiential Synthetic Chemistry

CHEM 4361 - Inorganic Chemistry: Structure and Bonding in Main Group Chemistry

Research

Our research involves the synthesis and characterization of organometallic and metal-organic compounds of the heavier p-block elements (e.g. indium and bismuth) that possess interesting Lewis acid and redox properties. In addition to the development of the fundamental reactive and structural chemistry of these elements, this work has potential applications in: 1) Green Chemistry - organometallic compounds of environmentally benign metals such as indium and bismuth prepared in our group are being studied as alternatives to transition and rare earth metal-based Lewis acid and redox catalysts. We are focusing on the utility of these materials as ROP catalysts for cyclic esters and epoxides, for C-C bond formation reactions in aqueous media, and for esterification/transesterification reactions for the production of biodeisel. 2) Materials Chemistry - organometallic heavy element Lewis acid-base adducts (e.g. group 13-16) prepared in our group have potential as high-purity organometallic/ metal organic precursors required for the thin-film methods employed in the preparation of semiconductor materials (e.g. MOCVD); and, 3) Medicinal Chemistry - certain isotopes of some of the heavier group 13 elements (e.g. indium-111) are currently being examined for use in radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic imaging. Our studies of the coordination chemistry of In involve suitable ligands for preparing radio-pharmaceuticals with improved physical properties. The interaction of the resulting metal-ligand complexes with biologically relevant molecules is also being examined.