Kim Dunbar

Kim Dunbar is a Senior Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University. Her research focuses on molecular magnets, conducting metal-organic solids, spin-crossover compounds, and metals in medicinal applications. She explores anion-pi interactions and cyanide chemistry to design novel materials with tailored electronic and magnetic properties. Dunbar has pioneered studies on single-molecule magnets (SMMs) and their integration into metal-organic frameworks for nanostructuring. Her work bridges inorganic, bioinorganic, and materials chemistry, with applications in photodynamic therapy and energy conversion.

Education:

• B.S., 1980, Westminster College
• Ph.D., 1984, Purdue University

Research Interests: Her group investigates hybrid materials combining magnetic and conductive properties, including molecular squares/cubes with single-molecule magnetism, dirhodium anticancer agents, and photoactive ruthenium complexes. They employ X-ray crystallography, magnetometry, and spectroscopy to study structure-property relationships in transition metal systems.

Awards: Dunbar has received numerous honors, including the ACS Distinguished Service Award (2015), Eminent Scholar Award (2012), and AAAS Fellowship (2004). She is a frequent plenary speaker at international conferences and has been recognized for her mentoring and teaching excellence.

Labs/Teams: The Dunbar Research Group collaborates across disciplines, leveraging computational and synthetic chemistry to design functional materials. Their work has led to breakthroughs in SMM design, cyanide-based magnetism, and photodynamic therapy drug development.