Research
Group Values
The Grice Group members, including Dr. Grice, consider themselves life-long students of science. We accept and support all people, no matter their gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, disability status, or sexual orientation, and will not support racism, discrimination, or hatred. We believe that being a scientist is not in conflict with one’s personal identity based on any factor. We recognize that underrepresented groups have been under-served in education, academia, and science in the past, and believe we should all work towards rectifying this in the present and future. We welcome people of all backgrounds and experiences, and endeavor to help everyone achieve their goals.
Overview
My research at DePaul University is based on the study of inorganic complexes as catalysts (and sometimes organic compounds too!) for valuable reactions and the roles of metal in biology. Brief summaries of my research areas are shown below.
1) Alkane dehydrogenation by platinum complexes. This project involves the synthesis and study of Platinum(II) complexes for the transformation of alkanes into alkenes and hydrogen. We synthesize and study platinum complexes with a variety of neutral and anionic ligands, focusing on the effects of phosphite ligands (as opposed to phosphines!) on reactivity and catalysis. These compounds are then examined for C-H activation and alkane dehydrogenation. I am also interested in exploring other metals for C-H activation. We use NMR, GC, X-ray crystallography, and DFT for this project.
2) Carbon dioxide reduction for the production of renewable fuels and chemicals. This project involves the study of homogeneous catalysts for thermal and electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide into useful products. Ideally, the homogeneous catalysts will be based on early metals, but I am exploring other metals as well. A particular focus is the use of multifunctional ligands, protic additives, and benign solvents such as water. I am also interested in how surfaces reduce carbon dioxide for comparison with homogeneous systems. I have collaborated with Dr. John Keith at Pitt, as well as Dr. Alfredo Angeles-Boza at UConn, Mehmed Ertem at Brookhaven, Michael Nippe at TAMU, and Julien Panetier at Binghamton U for some of this work. Besides synthesis and characterization of pre-catalysts, we use cyclic voltammetry, IR, NMR, and IR-SEC for this project.
3) Collaborative bioinorganic projects with the goals of synthesizing zinc complexes to mimic enzyme active sites and synthesizing metal complexes as drugs. In collaboration with Dr. Kari Stone at Lewis University, we are re examining ligands to solubilize and stabilize monomeric zinc complexes that are similar to enzyme active sites and then we attempt to examine their interactions with substrates or inhibitors to make comparisons with biological systems. We went to Argonne with DePaul students to use the synchrotron and laser spectroscopy for the zinc project. I am collaborating with Dr. Talitha Rajah in the Department of Biological Sciences here at DePaul University to understand how metal-based drugs can treat breast cancer. I am collaborating with Dr. Caitlin Karver to examine metal complexes against caspase enzymes. I also have had collaborations with researchers at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFUMS), based on novel metal-based drugs. We use NMR, UV-Vis, fluorescence spectroscopy, and DFT calculations as well as X-ray crystallography for these projects.
Methods
Students in my laboratory use a variety of techniques, including techniques for organic and inorganic synthesis, NMR spectroscopy, electrochemistry (cyclic voltammetry, controlled potential electrolysis, etc.), IR spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence, and some DFT calculations. Generally, we focus on studying catalysts, catalytic reactions, and enzyme active site mimics. Some synthesis is involved in each of these projects, but that is not the primary area of study.
Student Involvement
I can accept DePaul students at all levels (and all majors! You don't need to be a chem or biochem major), from general chemistry students to Masters students. Students will work on projects that are appropriate for their levels of training. Students will be encouraged to present their work at symposia or conferences in the forms of posters and talks (such as the DePaul CSH showcase in the fall and www.caurs.com in the spring). The ultimate goal is to publish our research in peer-reviewed journals, and students will be co-authors involved in the process of writing and submitting manuscripts in addition to doing research in the lab. If you have any questions about research, feel free to chat with me! I am currently looking for students to join my lab!
Collaborations
I am always open to collaborations and would be happy to discuss ways in which I could work with other researchers on projects relating to inorganic chemistry or the transformation of strong bonds.
This site is maintained by Dr. Grice, and any information or opinions are Dr. Grice's. Dr. Grice is not responsible for the content of external links. This is NOT a DePaul University website in any way (official or unofficial).