Faculty of Science School of Chemistry

Lecturer

CONTACT DETAILS:

Address: School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010 Australia

Room: 272

Email: c.boskovic@unimelb.edu.au

For further infomation visit the Boskovic research group page

Teaching responsibilities

• 511-124 Chemistry Component: Oral Health Sciences 1
• 610-142R (Summer) Chemistry
• 610-171 Fundamentals of Chemistry
• 610-340 Inorganic Chemistry IIIA
• 610-341 Inorganic Chemistry IIIB
• 610-400 Honours

Field of expertise

Polynuclear Metal Complexes for Bistable Molecular Materials

Bistable molecular systems can be reversibly interconverted between two different states by application of an external stimulus such as heat, light or a magnetic field. Such materials have tremendous potential for applications in high density data storage, quantum computing and display devices.

Research in our group is focused on the synthesis and investigation of two families of inorganic compound that can display bistability: single-molecule magnets (SMMs) and valence tautomeric (VT) complexes. We are particularly interested in polynuclear complexes of d-block transition metals or lanthanoids that can act in either of these capacities. These complexes incorporate N- and O-donor organic ligands or inorganic polyoxometalate ligands to bridge and/or chelate the paramagnetic metal centres. The VT complexes in particular require redox-activity in both the ligands and metal centres. The detailed physical characterisation of these species affords an understanding of the key magnetic and electronic properties and allows their correlation with the molecular structure.

Selected Publications:

1. Y. Mulyana, A. Nafady, A. Mukherjee, R. Bircher, B. Moubaraki, K. S. Murray, A. M. Bond, B. F. Abrahams, C. Boskovic, "New Family of Ferric Spin Clusters Incorporating Redox-Active ortho-Dioxolene Ligands", Inorg. Chem. 2009, 48, 7765-7781.

2. F. Hussain, B. Spingler, F. Conrad, M. Speldrich, P. Kögerler, C. Boskovic, G. R. Patzke, "Cesium-templated lanthanoid-containing polyoxotungstates", Dalton Trans. 2009, 4423-4425.

3. F. Hussain, R. W. Gable, M. Speldrich, P. Kögerler, C. Boskovic, "Polyoxotungstate-encapsulated Gd₆ and Yb₁₀ complexes", Chem. Commun., 2009, 328-330.

4. K. G. Alley, A. Mukherjee, R. Clérac, C. Boskovic, "A new family of octanuclear Cu₄Ln₄ (Ln = Gd, Tb and Dy) spin clusters", Dalton Trans. 2008, 59-63, (front cover illustration).

5. K. G. Alley, R. Bircher, H. U. Güdel, B. Moubaraki, K. S. Murray, B. F. Abrahams, C. Boskovic, "Incorporation of a tripodal ligand with a (N,O,O)-donor set into a new family of nickel and cobalt spin clusters", Polyhedron 2007, 26, 369-377, (special Australasian edition).

6. K. G. Alley, R. Bircher, O. Waldmann, S. T. Ochsenbein, H. U. Güdel, B. Moubaraki, K. S. Murray, F. Fernandez-Alonso, B. F. Abrahams, C. Boskovic, "Mixed-valent cobalt spin clusters: a hexanuclear complex and a one-dimensional coordination polymer comprised of alternating hepta- and mononuclear fragments", Inorg. Chem. 2006, 45, 8950-8957.

7. A. Sieber, C. Boskovic, R. Bircher, O. Waldmann, S. T. Ochsenbein, H. U. Güdel, N. Kirchner, J. van Slageren, W. Wernsdorfer, A. Neels, H. Stoeckli-Evans, S. Janssen, F. Juranyi, H. Mutka, "Synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of a new family of Ni₄ spin clusters", Inorg. Chem. 2005, 44, 4315-4325.

8. C. Boskovic, H. U. Güdel, G. Labat, A. Neels, W. Wernsdorfer, B. Moubaraki, K. S. Murray, "High nuclearity ferric complexes from a new family of polynuclear precursors", Inorg. Chem. 2005, 44, 3181-3189.

9. C. Boskovic, A Sieber, G Chaboussant, H. U. Güdel, J. Ensling, W. Wernsdorfer, A Neels, G. Labat, H. Stoeckli-Evans, S. Janssen, "Synthesis and characterization of a new family of bi-, tri-, tetra- and pentanuclear ferric complexes", Inorg. Chem. 2004, 43, 5053-5068.

10. C. Boskovic, R. Bircher, P. L. W. Tregenna-Piggott, H. U. Güdel, C. Paulsen, W. Wernsdorfer, A. L. Barra, E. Khatsko, A. Neels, H. Stoeckli-Evans, "Ferromagnetic and Antiferromagnetic Intermolecular Interactions in a New Family of Mn₄ Complexes with an Energy Barrier to Magnetization Reversal", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 14046-14058.