Abstract:
Vanadium remains one of the most adaptable yet underappreciated elements in inorganic chemistry, capable of shifting oxidation states, geometries, and reactivities in ways few metals can match. This seminar explores how deliberately designed scorpionate and pseudo-scorpionate ligand frameworks enable precise control over vanadium coordination environments, unlocking new structure–function relationships across materials and molecular systems. Drawing from recent work on oxide- and organophosph(on/in)ate-bridged complexes, the talk highlights how subtle geometric and electronic variations influence catalytic oxidation behavior, small-molecule transformations, and phosphatase inhibition. Special attention will be given to how molecular models can reveal active-site characteristics traditionally inferred from bulk catalytic solids. The use of data mining of structures of model complexes will also be explored. In unifying these materials- and bio-inspired directions, the seminar illustrates how this beautiful element’s fundamental coordination chemistry continues to open avenues for innovation in catalysis, and enzyme inhibition.
Speaker Bio:
Craig C. McLauchlan is a Professor in the Chemistry department at Illinois State University in Normal, IL USA. He received his A.B. from Harvard and his Ph.D. from Northwestern and started his career at ISU in 2002. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2008 and to Professor in 2013. McLauchlan has taught courses in general and inorganic chemistry at all levels in the chemistry department at ISU and he has lectured to over one thousand students and also mentored over thirty students in his research laboratory. McLauchlan has received several teaching awards, including the Illinois State 2005-2006 University Teaching Initiative Award and the 2012 Outstanding University Teacher award. McLauchlan’s research group focuses on coordination chemistry involving vanadium, among other metals, for use as oxidation catalysts and/or enzyme inhibition. More recently he has used his training in X-ray crystallography to examine coordination chemistry and bioinorganic chemistry areas, including those involving decavanadate. Among other society memberships (AAAS, ACA, ACS, APLU, ΣΞ, NCURA), he is on the International Vanadium Symposium International Advisory Board and is currently the Secretary. He served as Chair of the Department at ISU from 2013 to 2020 (the first three years as Interim Chair), and as the Senior Research Officer for ISU from July of 2020 until November of 2025. He resumed his role as a full-time faculty member in December of 2025.
