Education
1986        Ph.D., Inorganic Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison
1982        M.A., Chemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo
1981        B.S. Chemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo
B.A. History, State University of New York at Buffalo

Research Interests

The research interests of the Kirss Research Group lie in the application of organometallic compounds to organic and materials synthesis.  Projects are underway in three areas.

Understanding the electronic and steric effects of pentadienyl, cyclohexadienyl, cycloheptadienyl and related hydrocarbon ligands on the rate and catalytic properties of ruthenium (II) compounds bearing in carbon-carbon bond forming reactions. 

2) Synthesis of rhenium containing coordination compounds for use as labels in imaging and as models for potential new therapeutic technetium drugs.  This project is a collaborative effort with Professor Robert Hanson. 

3) A combination of NMR spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and Mossbauer spectroscopy allows the Kirss group to identify the site of oxidation, probe the degree of electron delocalization and determine the magnetic properties of heteroatom bridged polyferrocenes.  Ferrocenylphosphines and poly(ferrocenyl)phosphines are oxidized at phosphorus rather than iron while ferrocenylphosphine oxides undergo reversible thermal redox processes with possible application as molecular switches.
                                                                 

 
Selected Publications

“Chloro(h5-dihydropentalenyl)bis(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium(II): synthesis, structural characterization and catalytic activity in the dimerization of phenylacetylene” Rein U. Kirss, Richard D. Ernst and Atta M. Arif J. Organometal. Chem. 2004, 689, 419-428.
“Synthesis, Characterization and Spectroscopy of Alkyl Substituted Edge-Bridged Open Ruthenocenes” Rein U. Kirss Inorg. Chim. Acta, 2004, 357, 3181-3186.

“Anodic Electrochemistry of Multiferrocenyl Phosphine and Phosphine Chalcogenide Complexes in Weakly Nucleophilic Electrolytes” Frédéric Barrière, Rein U. Kirss, William E. Geiger, Organometallics. 2005, 24. 48-52.

“Synthesis, characterization and electrochemistry of 4 bis(3-aryl-6,6-dimethylcyclohexadienyl)ruthenium complexes” Rein U. Kirss , Alexandra Henriksen  David A. Forsyth, William Feighery Inorg. Chim. Acta, 2006, 359, 4393-4397.

“Dimerization of Terminal Alkynes Catalyzed By Chloro(h5-pentadienyl) bis(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium (II) and Kinetics of Phosphine Substitution”  Matthew Daniels and Rein U. Kirss J. Organometallic Chem. 2007, 692, 1716-1725.

Chemistry: The Science In Context, 2nd Edition  Thomas R. Gilbert, Rein V. Kirss Natalie Foster and Geoffrey Davies, New York:  W. W. Norton, Inc. 2009.

Instructors’ Manual To Accompany Chemistry: The Science In Context, 2nd Edition  Rein V. Kirss New York:  W. W. Norton, Inc. 2009.