Catherine Oertel

Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Chair of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Areas of Study

Education

BA, Oberlin College, 1999
MS, Cornell University, 2002
PhD, Cornell University, 2005

Biography

Catherine Oertel's research is focused on the synthesis of inorganic-organic materials and on studies of composition and corrosion in organ pipes and other cultural materials.

Research in the Oertel lab is in the area of inorganic materials chemistry, with projects focusing on both synthesis of new materials and conservation of historic materials. We synthesize hybrid inorganic-organic network compounds, in which metal centers are linked by ditopic organic ligands. Building blocks for these materials are selected with the goal of preparing functional materials by incorporating catalytically active sites or low-symmetry components.

Solvothermal reactions, in which reagent mixtures are heated in sealed containers to above the normal boiling points of their solvents, are used to promote crystal growth. Compounds are characterized on campus by powder X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis and are studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction through off-campus collaborations.

A second, interdisciplinary area of research uses methods of materials chemistry to study the causes and mechanisms of corrosion of historic organ pipes. We use exposure chambers to expose representative metal samples to corrosive conditions and study the corrosion product compositions and morphologies by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy.

This project has the goal of obtaining information that can be used by organ builders and restorers to conserve historic organ pipes and prevent corrosion in new ones.

NSF Grant Article: Early Career Grant
Feature Article: Key to saving pipe organs
Blog Post: A Corrosive Enemy
Audio Interview: Pulse of the Planet [no longer available]
Video news article: Historic Pipe Organs

Oertel, C.M.; Poduska, K.M. “Using Heritage Materials to Inspire New Understanding in Solid State Chemistry,” Chem. Mater. 2024, 36, 9993-10002.

Chow, A.S.;* Zhong, X.;* Fabini, D.H.; Zeller, M.; Oertel, C.M. “(C₅H₆N)Pb₂X₅ (X= Cl, Br): Hybrid Lead Halides Based on Seven-Coordinate Pb(II),” Inorg. Chem. 2022, 61, 6530-6538.

Hammer, A.C.;* Jia, X.; Zeller, M.; Coughlin, E.J.; Guo, W.; Oertel, C.M. “Ligand Geometry Directs the Packing and Symmetry of One-Dimensional Helical Motifs in Lead Oxide Naphthoates and Biphenylcarboxylates,” CrystEngComm 2020, 22, 6465-6477.

Liu, E.E.;* Gang, C.;* Zeller, M.; Fabini, D.H.; Oertel, C.M. “Ligand-Induced Variations in Symmetry and Structural Dimensionality of Lead Oxide Carboxylates,” Cryst. Growth Des. 2017, 17, 1574-1582.

Oertel, C.M.; Richards, A. “Music and Materials – Art and Science of Organ Pipe Metal,” Mater. Res. Soc. Bull. 2017, 42, 55-61.

Easterday, C.C.;* Dedon, L.R.;* Zeller, M.; Oertel, C.M. “Helical _∞¹[Pb₂O] Chains in Polymorphs of Pb₂O(C₆H₅COO)₂,” Cryst. Growth Des. 2014, 14, 2048-2055.

* denotes undergraduate co-author.

Fall 2024

Synthesis Laboratory — CHEM 327

Spring 2025

Inorganic Chemistry — CHEM 213

Katie Oertel Coauthored Perspective Published in "Chemistry of Materials"

October 9, 2024

Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Katie Oertel has coauthored a Perspective article, "Using Heritage Materials to Inspire New Understanding in Solid State Chemistry," in Chemistry of Materials. She wrote this Perspective with Professor Kristin Poduska from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador for a special issue of the journal in memory of their graduate advisor, Professor Frank DiSalvo.