Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Chemistry
Purdue University
2012

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Neuroscience
University of California, Santa Cruz
2007

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Chemistry
University of California, Santa Cruz
2007

Chemical synthesis and characterization

Inorganic/organometallic and organic synthesis

Methodology Development

Solid State Synthesis using hydrothermal techniques

Schlenk lines, glove box and fluorine line techniques

Dr. Ian Rothwell Inorganic Literature Seminar Award – Spring 2010

Outstanding Chemistry Teaching Assistant Award – Fall 2009

Tetrahydroxydiboron-Mediated Palladium-Catalyzed Transfer Hydrogenation

Tetrahydroxydiboron-Mediated Palladium-Catalyzed Transfer Hydrogenation and Deuteriation of Alkenes and Alkynes Using Water as the Stoichiometric H or D Atom Donor

There are few examples of catalytic transfer hydrogenations of simple alkenes and alkynes that use water as a stoichiometric H or D atom donor. We have found that diboron reagents efficiently mediate the transfer of H or D atoms from water directly onto unsaturated C–C bonds using a palladium catalyst. This reaction is conducted on a broad variety of alkenes and alkynes at ambient temperature, and boric acid is the sole byproduct. Mechanistic experiments suggest that this reaction is made possible by a hydrogen atom transfer from water that generates a Pd–hydride intermediate. Importantly, complete deuterium incorporation from stoichiometric D2O has also been achieved.

The Strongest Acid

The Strongest Acid: Protonation of Carbon Dioxide

The strongest carborane acid, H(CHB11F11), protonates CO2 while traditional mixed Lewis/Brønsted superacids do not. The product is deduced from IR spectroscopy and calculation to be the proton disolvate, H(CO2)2+. The carborane acid H(CHB11F11) is therefore the strongest known acid. The failure of traditional mixed superacids to protonate weak bases such as CO2 can be traced to a competition between the proton and the Lewis acid for the added base. The high protic acidity promised by large absolute values of the Hammett acidity function (H0) is not realized in practice because the basicity of an added base is suppressed by Lewis acid/base adduct formation.

Attachment of a Diruthenium Compound to Au and SiO2/Si Surfaces by "Click" Chemistry

Attachment of a Diruthenium Compound to Au and SiO2/Si Surfaces by "Click" Chemistry

Fabrication of electrodes with functionalized properties is of interest in many electronic applications with the surface impacting the electrical and electronic properties of devices. We report the formation of molecular monolayers containing a redox-active diruthenium(II,III) compound to gold and silicon surfaces via “click” chemistry.

Diruthenium-Polyyn-diyl-Diruthenium Wires

Diruthenium-Polyyn-diyl-Diruthenium Wires: Electronic Coupling in the Long Distance Regime

Reported herein is a series of Ru₂(Xap)₄ capped polyyn-diyl compounds, where Xap is either 2-anilinopyridinate (ap) or its aniline substituted derivatives. Symmetric [Ru₂(Xap)₄](μ-C_4k)[Ru₂(Xap)₄] (compounds 4ka (X = 3-isobutoxy) and 4kc (X = 3,5-dimethoxy) with k= 2, 3, 4, and 5) was obtained from the Glaser coupling reaction of Ru₂(Xap)₄(C_2kH). Unsymmetric [Ru₂(Xap)₄](μ-C_4k+2)[Ru₂(ap)₄] (compounds 4k+2b with k = 2, 3, and 4) were prepared from the Glaser coupling reaction between Ru₂(Xap)₄(C_2k+2H) and Ru₂(ap)₄(C_2kH). X-ray diffraction study of compound 12c revealed both the sigmoidal topology of the polyyn-diyl bridge and the fine structural detail about the Ru2 cores.