Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Inorganic Chemistry & X-ray Crystallography
University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
1974
See all Profiles
Faculty
Faculty
Ray John Butcher, PhD
Professor of Inorganic & Structural Chemistry
Department/Office
- Chemistry
School/College
- College of Arts & Sciences
Biography
Raymond John Butcher, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Chemistry at Howard University. He earned his B.Sc. (Hons) in 1968 and his Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry and X-ray Crystallography in 1974, both from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. He joined Howard University in 1977 as an assistant professor and advanced to full professor in 1997, bringing extensive experience in chemical research and education to the institution.
Butcher’s distinguished research career centers on inorganic chemistry and structural crystallography, with a long record of scholarly contributions spanning synthesis, molecular structure determination, and transition-metal chemistry. His work has been published broadly in the chemical literature and reflects deep engagement with structural and spectroscopic studies of coordination compounds and related systems. He has also served as Co-Editor for Acta Crystallographica E: Data Reports and IUCr Data Reports and held visiting and research appointments at leading institutions, including the University of Virginia, the Naval Research Laboratory, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and Los Alamos National Laboratory.
In addition to his research and editorial leadership, Butcher has contributed to the scientific community through national educational service, including roles as AP Chemistry Reader, summer faculty fellowships at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and international teaching and research collaborations. Throughout his tenure at Howard University, he has been committed to mentoring students in chemistry and structural science, expanding opportunities for undergraduate and graduate researchers to engage in original inquiry and professional development.
Education & Expertise
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc)(Hons)
Chemistry
University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
1968
Expertise
Inorganic & Structural Chemistry (X-ray Crystallography)
Bioinorganic chemistry of 1st row transition metals. Structural chemistry of pharmaceutically active compounds
Research
Research
Specialty
Bioinorganic chemistry, structural chemistry of pharmaceutically active compounds (X-ray crystallography)Publications and Presentations
Publications and Presentations
Anticancer evaluation of Co(III) complex derived from 1-isonicotinoyl-4-(4-nitrophenyl)-3- thiosemicarbazide
A new cationic complex, [Co((intph)(en)2]Cl, derived from the 1-isonicotinoyl-4-(4-nitrophenyl)-3-thiosemicarbazide (H2intph), is reported. The synthesized ligand and its corresponding Co(III) complex were successfully characterized by applying FT-IR and UV–visible spectroscopic techniques and single crystal ray diffraction data. Molecular geometries of the ligand and its Co(III) complex were accurately determined from their respective X-ray crystallographic analysis.
Synthesis and characterization of silica-supported cobalt acylpyrazolone complex
A novel β-diketone-containing acylpyrazolone (2-(3-chlorophenyl)-3‑hydroxy-5-methyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-4-yl) (4-nitrophenyl) methanone [HLC] ligand and its cobalt complex [Co(HLC)2(H2O)2] were synthesized and characterized. A silica-supported cobalt complex was synthesized as a heterogeneous catalyst to investigate the cobalt complex's catalytic activity.
Anticancer activity of Co(III) complex containing mixed ligand bis(5-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole)-3- sulfinamide and o-phen
The cobalt complexes have demonstrated potential as antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer agents, further enhancing their significance in the field of medicinal chemistry. Here, a cobalt(III) complex [Co(ptsm)H2O(o-phen)]·CH3OH containing in situ formed bis(5-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole)-3-sulfinamide (ptsm), 1,10-phenanthroline, and H2O molecule as ligand along with methanol molecule as crystallized solvent has been synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic and X-ray crystallography techniques.