Ricardo Metz

Ricardo Metz is a Professor and Department Head of Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His research focuses on the spectroscopy of metal complexes and their applications in catalysis and natural systems.

• Education: Ph.D. from University of California, Berkeley; B.A. from Johns Hopkins University; NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Ricardo Metz’s work investigates the structure, bonding, and thermochemistry of gas-phase metal ions, including organometallic ions and metal cluster ions. His research combines experimental techniques like mass spectrometry and laser photofragment spectroscopy with computational methods such as density functional theory. Key areas include:

• Modeling transition metal catalysis (e.g., Fe³⁺(CH₄) and [HO-Fe-CH₃]⁺).
• Studying methane activation and hydrocarbon transformation mechanisms.
• Probing solvation effects in metal-ligand interactions (e.g., Cr⁺(NH₃).
• Photodissociation dynamics and bond energy determination in metal clusters.

His lab’s recent work includes photofragment velocity-mapped imaging of ion beams, providing insights into direct dissociation mechanisms and bond strengths, such as Al-Al dissociation at 422.5 nm.

• Scientific Awards: NSF Postdoctoral Fellow.

Metz’s research has implications for industrial catalysis, energy applications, and understanding metal centers in enzymes and interstellar chemistry.