Mark R. Mason

Mark R. Mason is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of Toledo, affiliated with the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. He received his B.S. from Bowling Green State University (1985) and Ph.D. from Iowa State University (1991), followed by postdoctoral work at Harvard University (1991-1993).

His research spans multiple areas within Inorganic Chemistry and Organometallic Chemistry, focusing on:

• Design of aluminum and gallium complexes for catalysis and small molecule activation
• Development of transition metal systems for alkene polymerization using indole/pyrrole ligands
• Novel phosphorus ligands for hydroformylation and C-C coupling in ionic liquids
• Conversion of biomass to chemicals via catalytic methods

His group employs advanced techniques like air-sensitive synthesis, X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and isothermal titration calorimetry (collaboration with Lehigh University). Current work is supported by a DOE SBIR grant and industrial partnerships.

Publications highlight expertise in catalysis, ligand design, and materials synthesis, with recent studies on BODIPY dyes, constrained geometry ligands, and green chemistry education initiatives.