The multifunctional inorganic materials chemistry group at Washington State University develops synthetic methods to prepare inorganic materials for renewable-energy applications and spin-based technologies. The materials we study are primarily inorganic semiconductors and related molecular clusters with unique electronic structures that are responsive to external perturbations. We use sophisticated spectroscopic techniques including electronic absorption, steady-state and time-resolved luminescence, electron paramagnetic resonance, and magneto-optical spectroscopies to investigate these electronic structures.