The project involves bench-top synthesis of molecules that lead to a new class of interesting ionic materials, known for their unique characteristics such as low melting points and vapor pressures. Students working on this project would learn new synthetic techniques, and would gain experience with advanced instrumentation.
Many of Professor Larsen's students have co-authored publications and have given presentations at regional or national conferences (see the list of publications and presentations here and read actual papers linked from this page). Visit Professor Anna Larsen's research lab page for more information and see what her undergraduate students are up to.
Professor Larsen writes:
I graduated from Moscow State University (Russia) with B.S./M.S. degree in Physical Organic Chemistry. My Masters thesis entailed a combination of synthetic studies and computational analyses of the conformational behavior of the biologically relevant di-aza- bicyclo-3.3.1-nonanes. I moved across the globe - to Utah State University where I earned my PhD. degree in organometallic chemistry. My dissertation was titled "Kinetic and Thermodynamic studies of the reactive ruthenium and rhodium cyclopentadienyl nitrosyl comlexes". I completed two sets of postdoctoral studies. While working with Professor Chris Reed at the University of Southern California (now at UC-Riverside) I got introduced to the wonders of carborane anion (struture pictured above). At the University of Washington with professor Jim Mayer (now at Yale) I learned about powerful ways of studying reaction mechanisms. I also served as a visiting Assistant Professor at Seattle University. In 2003 I joined Ithaca College Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the position of Assistant Professor. I got tenured and promoted to Associated Professor position in 2009 and took a sabbatical leave (in UK and Argentina) in 2010/2011 academic year. In 2014-2017 I served as a Chair of the Chemistry Department.