Professor Parr’s research interests involve the synthesis of metal-oxo and metal-hydride complexes of rhenium. Metal-oxo complexes are important as oxygen transfer agents, both in a variety of biological systems and in the laboratory.¹ The more recent application of rhenium complexes as radiopharmaceutical agents and their role as models for technetium complexes have given rise to a significant area of research.² Metal hydride complexes play a role in homogeneous catalysis, exhibit novel hydrogen bonding behavior and have unique structural properties.³ The synthesis and characterization of five new rhenium-oxo complexes has been reported^4a and  Professor Parr and her students are exploring the utility of these new rhenium-oxo complexes in oxygen transfer reactions and as precursors for metal hydride complexes.^4b  The role of wide-bite angle diphosphines as supporting ligands in rhenium and molybdenum complexes is currently under investigation.

References.

1. (a) da Silva, J.R.R.F. and Williams, R.J.P. The Biological Chemistry of the Elements. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. (b) Nugent, W.A. and Mayer, J.M. Metal Ligand Multiple Bonds.  New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1986.
2. Dilworth, J.R. and Parrot, S.J. Chem. Soc. Rev., 1998, 27, 43.
3. Bau, R. et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1985, 107, 7212.
4. (a) Parr, M.L.; Faller, J.W.; Perez-Acosta, C., New J. Chem., 2005, 29, 613. (b) Antunes, N.; Perez-Acosta, C.; Chin, J.A.; Gifford, J.C.; Parr, M.L., J. Coord. Chem., 2009, 62, 1051.

Recent Publications and Presentations (Trinity students underlined):

• Mizgier, N.; Thibodeaux, A.; Cocco, A.; Tran, L.A.; Lu, M.; Parr, M.L. "Synthesis and Characterization of New Rhenium-Oxo Complexes Supported by Bidentate Phosphine Ligands". Paper presented at the 256th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, August 2018.
• Parr, M.L. and Moyer, R.O. "Inorganic Chemistry at Trinity College". Paper presented at the 252nd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, August 2016. 
• Parr, M.L., Lehman, A., Bellantoni, N.F. “The Application of SEM-EDS in the Analysis of Archaeological Materials: An Examination of Morphological Characteristics and Elemental Composition of Artifacts Excavated in Connecticut.” Bulletin of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut 75 (2013): 5-17.
• Blakemore, J.D., Mara, M.W., Kushner-Lenhoff, M.N., Schley, N.D., Konezny, S.J., Rivalta, I., Negre, C.F.A., Snoeberger, R.C., Kokhan, O., Huang, J., Stickrath, A., Tran, L.A., Parr, M.L., Chen, L.X., Tiede, D.M., Batista, V.S., Crabtree, R.H., Brudvig, G.W. "Characterization of an Amorphous Iridium Water-Oxidation Catalyst Electrodeposited from Organometallic Precursors." Inorganic Chemistry 52 (2013):  1860-1871.
• Bloom, S.A., Levine, D.H., Parr, M.L. "Synthesis and Characterization of Molybdenum Tetracarbonyl Complexes Supported by Wide Bite Angle Diphosphines". Paper presented at the 244th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, August 2012.
• Gifford, J.C., Tran, L.A., Bellantoni, N.F., Lehman, A., Parr, M.L. "An Interdisciplinary Project Based on the SEM-EDS Analysis of Iron, Copper and Brass Artifacts Excavated in Southern New England". Paper presented at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, August 2010.
• Antunes, N., Chin, J.A., Gifford, J.C., Parr, M.L., Perez-Acosta, C. "Rhenium(VII) Polyhydrides Supported by Chelating Diphosphine Ligands: DPEphos, Xantphos and Biphep." Journal of Coordination Chemistry 62 (2009): 1051-1057.
• Hill, A., Lehman, A., Parr, M.L. “Using Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy to Analyze Archaeological Materials: Introducing Scientific Concepts and Scientific Literacy to Students from All Disciplines.” Journal of Chemical Education 84, no. 5 (2007): 810-813.
• Parr, M.L. “Carbonylation Processes by Homogeneous Catalysis.” In Encyclopedia of Inorganic Chemistry, 2nd Edition, edited by R.H. Crabtree, 781. Chichester, U.K.: John Wiley & Sons, 2005.

• Faculty Research Assistantship Grant, Trinity College, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015 
• Phi Beta Kappa