Overview
Welcome to the research webpages of the M. L. Baker Lab. Our research interest is based within the area of physical inorganic chemistry with a focus on the rationalisation of fundamental electronic structure and bonding. We apply advanced X-ray and neutron spectroscopies in combination with computational methods (CASSCF, DFT, ligand field multiplet theory) to obtain quantitative insights into physicochemical relationships in f and d block systems. Affiliated with the University of Manchester, Department of Chemistry and the University of Manchester at Harwell, we profit from collaborations with leading synthetic chemistry groups and national facilities at Harwell to explore novel electronic structure and magnetism.
*Inorganic chemistry + condensed matter physics = inorganic physics
Highlights
Determination of Uranium Central-Field Covalency with 3d4f Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 32, 22570.
Quantifying the influence of 3d-4s mixing on linearly coordinated metal-ions by L2,3-edge XAS and XMCD Chem. Sci., 2024, 15, 2433.
X-ray Spectroscopic Study of the Electronic Structure of a Trigonal High-Spin Fe(IV)=O Complex Modeling Non-Heme Enzyme Intermediates and Their Reactivity J. Am. Chem Soc. 2023, 145, 34, 18977.
Energy conversion and storage via photoinduced polarization change in non-ferroelectric molecular [CoGa] crystals Nat Commun 2023, 14, 3394.