Thomas P. Vaid Assistant Professor  INORGANIC CHEMISTRY Inorganic and organic electronic materials, Solar energy conversion B.S. Chemistry,1992, University of Illinois; Ph.D. Chemistry, 1997,Cornell University; Postdoctoral Research Associate, 1997-2000, California Institute of Technology. office: 2101D SHLB Telephone: 205-348-8454 fax (205) 348-9104

Research Interests Most broadly, our research involves materials chemistry with possible applications in renewable energy creation and storage.  Our major project involves the synthesis of semiconducting hybrid organic-inorganic frameworks.  In addition, we are exploring the synthesis of new porphyrin systems. Hybrid inorganic-organic semiconductors, or conducting MOFs.  There are currently thousands of known metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and very nearly all of them are electrically insulating.  We are synthesizing new framework materials, mainly based on metal-sulfur or metal-selenium linkages, with the intent of creating electrically conducting materials.  An example is the semiconductor [Pb3(C6S6)]n, shown to the right.  Most of the frameworks that we have synthesized are non-porous (MOFs are often considered, by definition, to be porous), but as new semiconductors they nevertheless offer a wide variety of possible applications in devices such as photovoltaics and LEDs.  Conducting porous MOFs offer additional applications as, for example, high-area electrodes for batteries or supercapacitors or electrocatalysis.  We are therefore exploring the synthesis of both porous and nonporous materials.

Porphyrin chemistry. We have synthesized several oxidized and reduced main-group porphyrin complexes, including the first antiaromatic porphyrin complex that had been isolated, Si(TPP)(THF)2.  Recently we synthesized a porphyrin with a C=C unit in the center, (C=C)TTP, thus creating  a purely organic, fully conjugated system.  The crystal structure is shown to the right.  That work was highlighted in C&EN.

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Representative Publications

“Synthesis, Characterization, and Calculated Electronic Structure of the Crystalline Metal-Organic Polymers [Hg(SC₆H₄S)(en)]_n and [Pb(SC₆H₄S)(dien)]_n”, Turner, D. L.; Stone, K. H.; Stephens, P. W.; Walsh, A.; Singh, M. P.; Vaid, T. P., Inorg. Chem. 2012, 51, 370-376.

“A Porphyrin with a C=C Unit at Its Center”, Vaid, T. P. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 15838-15841.

“Semiconducting Lead-Sulfur-Organic Network Solids”, Turner, D. L.; Vaid, T. P.; Stephens, P. W.; Stone, K. H.; DiPasquale, A. G.; Rheingold, A. L., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 14-15.

“Reversible Oxidation State Change in Germanium(tetraphenylporphyrin) Induced by a Dative Ligand:  Aromatic GeII(TPP) and Antiaromatic GeIV(TPP)(pyridine)₂”, Cissell, J. A.; Vaid, T. P.; Yap, G. P. A., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 7841-7847.

Complete list of Dr. Vaid's publications (11/26/12)

The University of Alabama Department of Chemistry Faculty