Eric Steven Cueny

Researchers from all sectors of homogeneous catalysis convened in response to concerns regarding reproducibility in science to analyze the issue and provide recommendations. In addition to an in-person workshop, the group engaged the broader homogeneous catalysis community through a webinar series and virtually during the workshop. Results of the project affirm that homogeneous catalysis is not in a reproducibility crisis, as evidenced by the field’s current and past contributions to society that have led to economic growth and advances in a range of industries from agriculture to consumer goods to human health. However, it is not uncommon for researchers to encounter obstacles related to reproducibility. Ensuring reproducibility remains the responsibility of the community, both in current work and in training future researchers. This report is intended to engage key stakeholders, including disciplinary societies, publishers, employers, research leaders, and researchers, in practices that maximize reproducible homogeneous catalysis and ensure continued innovation and translatable discoveries. Recommendations made herein are also framed to be applicable beyond homogeneous catalysis, empowering the broader chemical if not scientific community.

Researchers from all sectors of homogeneous catalysis convened in response to concerns regarding reproducibility in science to analyze the issue and provide recommendations. In addition to an in-person workshop, the group engaged the broader homogeneous catalysis community through a webinar series and virtually during the workshop. Results of the project affirm that homogeneous catalysis is not in a reproducibility crisis, as evidenced by the field’s current and past contributions to society that have led to economic growth and advances in a range of industries from agriculture to consumer goods to human health. However, it is not uncommon for researchers to encounter obstacles related to reproducibility. Ensuring reproducibility remains the responsibility of the community, both in current work and in training future researchers. This report is intended to engage key stakeholders, including disciplinary societies, publishers, employers, research leaders, and researchers, in practices that maximize reproducible homogeneous catalysis and ensure continued innovation and translatable discoveries. Recommendations made herein are also framed to be applicable beyond homogeneous catalysis, empowering the broader chemical if not scientific community.

We reveal the role of aurophilic interactions in the formation and conductance of gold cyanide molecular wires of variable length-to-width ratios assembled at the tip of an STM break junction in ambient conditions. Specifically, we identify electron transport signatures through 1D single chains containing variable number of monomeric repeats of gold cyanide AuCN, linked in series (AuCN)_n, and through adjacent molecular wires linked in parallel. When bound in series, destructive quantum interference causes an exponential decay of conductance in (AuCN)_n 1D wires for n = 1-3. But when bound in parallel, aurophilic coupling through the gold atoms of neighboring chains reorders electronic states and results in significant enhancement of conductance. Our work reveals that metallophilicity can play a significant role in junction assembly and electron transport characteristics.

A series of dinuclear Pt–Au complexes [(bhq-Ph ^R )(PPh ₃ )Pt–Au(PPh ₃ )] ⁺ (R = –H (5), –OMe (5-OMe), –F (5-F), and –CF ₃ (5-CF3)) were prepared, fully characterized, and their stability tested via pyridine titration experiments.

Herein, we compare the known dinuclear complex [(CNC)(PPh ₃ )Pt–Au(PPh ₃ )] ⁺ ( 2 ) with the newly synthesized [(CNC ^F )(PPh ₃ )Pt–Au(PPh ₃ )] ⁺ ( 2-F ). We use pyridine titrations to establish the relative thermodynamic stability of 2 vs. 2-F .