Research in the Brook Lab focuses on the study, control and application of the interaction
between unpaired electrons. In addition to the role this plays in understanding covalent
bonding, these interactions may have applications in magnetic resonance imaging, information
storage and molecular computing. Most of our efforts are focused on verdazyl radicals;
stable radicals based on a tetrazine ring. One of our more recent results (depicted
above) involves a cobalt-verdazyl compound that switches from a high spin cobalt(II)
form in the solid state (red) to a low spin cobalt(III) form in solution (green).
