McMaster Chemistry: R.J. Gillespie (original) (raw)

	Ronald J. Gillespie Professor Emeritus B.Sc., Ph.D., D.Sc. (London), F.R.S., F.R.S.C., F.R.S.C. (U.K.), F.C.I.C. Molecular Geometry Contact Information Curriculum Vitae

My currents interests are in the field of Molecular Geometry. I have long been interested in further developing the VSEPR model and at the same time trying to understand why certain molecules appear to be exceptions to the model. Partly in collaboration with my colleague Richard Bader, I have been making use of the analysis of calculated electron density distributions to better understand the VSEPR model and molecular geometry in general. We have shown that the Laplacian of the electron density provides evidence for the localized lone pairs of the VSEPR model and we have developed the Lennard-Jones function which also provides evidence for lone pairs on a different basis.

One of the largest classes of exceptions to the VSEPR model are certain molecules of the transition metals. We have shown that the deviations of the geometry of these molecules from the VSEPR model can be related to the distortion of the metal atom core from a spherical shape which we have been able to study by means of the Laplacian electron density. This investigation is continuing. Recently I have shown that the intramolecular distance between two given ligands is remarkably constant over a wide variety of molecules which led me to suggest that interligand interactions are much more important in determining geometry than has previously generally been supposed. This observation has led me to develop the ligand close packing (LCP) model.

Publications

Books:

• Molecular Geometry, Van Nostrand Reinhold, London, 1972, 226 pages.
  German translation: Verlag Chemie 1975
  Russian translation: MIR 1975
  (Out of print.)
• Chemistry, with D.A. Humphreys, N.C. Baird and E.A. Robinson
  Allyn and Bacon, 1986, 895 pages. 2nd Edition, 1989, 1132 pages
  (Out of print.)
• The VSEPR Model of Molecular Geometry with I. Hargittai
  Allyn and Bacon, 1991
  Russian translation: MIR 1992
  Italian translation Zanichelli 1994
  (Out of print.)
• Atoms, Molecules and Reactions: An Introduction to Chemistry with D.A. Humphreys, E.A. Robinson and D.R. Eaton, Prentice Hall, 1994, 750 pages.
  (Out of print.)
• A new book is to be published by Oxford University Press in 2001:
  The Chemical Bond and Molecular Geometry: from Lewis to Electron Densities.
  by Ronald J. Gillespie and Paul L. A. Popelier

Journal Articles:

Over 370 articles in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Inorganic Chemistry, the Canadian Journal of Chemistry, the Journal of the Chemical Society, the Journal of Chemical Education and others.

Publications since 1992

R.J. Gillespie: Curriculum Vitae; Publications since 1992
Chemistry Faculty
Department of Chemistry

01dec1999; rjg