The Doerrer research group specializes in synthetic inorganic chemistry and is an equal-opportunity element utilizer. Currently there are two main avenues of research in the group.

The first is the use of highly fluorinated aryloxide and alkoxide ligands for the stabilization of high oxidation states in first-row transition metals. Spectroscopic work strongly suggests that these ligands generate a stronger field environment than chloride and might be fluoride mimics. We have prepared many phenolate anions of the form [M(OAr)n]m- and are investigating their reactivity with strong oxidizing agents.

The second area of research is in metallophilicity, which is the attraction of electron rich metal centers e.g. Au(I), Pt(II), for each other. We are investigating the use of this relatively weaker attractive force in combination with electrostatics to form chain of metal atoms that can be prepared with odd numbers of spins and investigated as low-dimensional conductors.