Daniel B. Leznoff

Daniel B. Leznoff is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Simon Fraser University (SFU). He holds academic positions in both the Department of Chemistry and through TRIUMF collaboration. His research focuses on inorganic coordination chemistry, encompassing coordination polymers, organometallic compounds, and actinide chemistry. Leznoff obtained his B.Sc. from York University and his Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia. He leads a multidisciplinary group advancing synthetic, structural, and spectroscopic techniques, including X-ray crystallography, NMR, and magnetic measurements.

His research programs span

• Supramolecular cyanometallate coordination polymers for sensing and materials applications
• Non-traditional metal phthalocyanines for catalysis and magnetism
• Actinide chemistry exploring novel uranium/thorium complexes
• Paramagnetic organometallic systems and their reactivity

Students in his group gain expertise in advanced techniques like SQUID magnetometry and muon-spin resonance. He emphasizes international collaboration, with partnerships in France, Japan, and beyond. Leznoff teaches courses like Special Topics in Inorganic Chemistry and mentors students in both MSc/PhD programs. His lab utilizes state-of-the-art facilities including glovebox systems and NMR spectroscopy.

His work is funded by agencies such as NSERC, with projects addressing material design for CO₂ electroreduction and luminescent sensors. Collaborations include physicists for advanced measurements and industry partnerships for application development.