Expert Details
Homogeneous Catalysis, Water oxidation, CH oxidation, inorganic chemistry, organometallic chemistry
ID: 107765
Connecticut, USA
Expert is knowledgeable of all aspects of the synthesis, structure, uses, and reactions of organometallic compounds of the transition metals and the main group, including processes applicable to organic chemistry. Expert wrote the book entitled Organometallic Chemistry of The Transition Metals. He can answer questions on the synthesis, structure, reactions, and physical properties of organometallic compounds, both of the transition metals and the main group. He has employed NMR, infrared and UV-visual mass spectroscopy, and crystallography in his studies.
Expert has applied his knowledge of chemistry to develop methods for the abatement and disposal of ozone depleting gases, especially chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), fluorocarbon gases, and polymers. Working with associate Juan Burdeniuc, Expert discovered a new method for disposing of CFCs. The procedure involves a simple chemical process using sodium oxalate to turn CFCs into harmless byproducts. Sodium oxalate is inexpensive and readily available and when reacted with CFCs produces carbon, sodium chloride, sodium fluoride, and carbon dioxide as byproducts. Expert found that by lowering the temperature of the reaction different byproducts will result, including valuable fluoro-compounds (perfluoroarenes, which are valuable chemical intermediates). He maintains that the discovery is also useful because various regimes can be employed to produce a variety of possible products.
Expert has conducted hydrogen bonding studies to design improved catalysts and receptors for simple substrates. Recently, while working with his team of researchers, Expert was studying iridium hydride complexes when he noticed that positively and negatively charged hydrogen atoms were found close together a complex way, that indicated an attraction between them. The discovery led to the recognition of the "dihydrogen bond," an attractive interaction between two hydrogens.
Expert is now investigating whether dihydrogen bonds can be put to practical use. The modification of transition metal catalysts, used for accelerating and controlling everything from polymerization to drug synthesis, might be one application. Expert's team is also introducing H-bonding groups into synthetic catalysts (including Wilkinson's hydrogenation catalyst) with the idea of seeing rate increases or selectivity changes, with asymmetric catalysis as a possibility. He has worked with asymmetric hydrogenation, hydrosilation, hydroformylation, oxidation, and hydroboration.
Expert has extensive experience designing reactions using clues from enzyme chemistry, especially hydrogenase, methane mono-oxygenase, photosystem II, and nitrogenase.
In research funded by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Chemical Sciences Division, Expert has achieved two noteworthy discoveries that constitute a breakthrough in the selective activation of C-F bonds. Using a method that employs the energy from photochemically-excited mercury atoms to convert relatively unreactive alkanes and other organic molecules to novel organic products, Expert has recently examined the activation of C-F bonds in perfluoroalkanes. After activating C-F bonds using photochemically-excited mercury atoms, Expert and his staff discovered a successful non-mercury system for the defluorination of perfluoroalkanes. Success in this area could provide new avenues to a wide range of value-added industrial and biomedical products.
Expert has used organoaluminum compounds extensively in synthesis reactions. He has experience handling the compounds and characterizing the acid-based adducts of these compounds. He is familiar with inorganic applications of organoaluminum chemistry, catalytic applications, and the partial hydrolysis to MAO.
Expert has designed or improved many reactions involving light gases. He has worked with H2, CO, CO2, CH4, CF4, C2F6, and NH3.
A significant portion of Expert's group is now devoted to organofluorine chemistry. He has worked with the defluorination reactions of organofluorine compounds, nucleophilic attack and electron transfer, and the characterization by spectroscopic and structural methods. He has conducted the examination of physical properties and the surface modification of PTFE polymers.
Expert has developed a number of high-throughput screens for soluble and polymer-supported homogeneous catalysts to assay for activity and selectivity. Libraries of ligands and the derived metal catalysts have been prepared on polystyrene beads and assayed by using reactive dyes, reactive fluorescent agents, and NMR analysis of high-activity catalysts for selectivity. He has also synthesized and characterized new dyes.
Expert has applied NMR techniques to numerous inorganic and organometallic studies.
Expert has analyzed partial alkane and hydrocarbon oxidation with O2 or O atom donors as oxidants. He is familiar with radical versus nonradical pathways. He can advise clients on mechanistic issues, the design of catalysts, and the use of unconventional media.
Expert discovered the ' Expert catalyst' for the alkene catalytic hydrogenation reaction.
Expert has early papers in the area of alkyne catalytic hydrogenation.
Expert has used aromatic compound catalytic hydrogenation in several projects.
Expert has written a standard text with extensive discussion of catalysis.
Expert has worked with CFCs and discovered methods for their destruction.
Expert discovered an early hydrogenation and hydrosilation catalyst (Expert's catalyst); have written standard text incorporating extensive discussion of this topic.
He has spent his entire career in the field of inorganic chemistry.
He developed 'Mercat' chemistry involving Hg- photosensitized synthetic routes to organic compounds.
He has performed extensive work in hydrosilation chemistry.
He has done extensive work on catalytic oxidation of organic and inorganic compounds.
Expert developed one of the best Heck reaction catalysts yet reported.
Expert has consulted widely in this field.
He developed a reactive dye as a sensor for homogeneous catalysts.
Expert helped a firm look for alternate routes to an important product and evaluated chances of success.He helped a law firm win a personal injury case by finding what went wrong in ill-fated chemical reaction. Expert lectured on recent developments in combinatorial chemistry to two firms interested in this area. He collaborated in research with a firm that supplied funding to support a postdoc.He advised a law firm on scientific aspects of patent dispute.
Education
Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
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Year: 1973 | Degree: PhD | Subject: Chemistry | Institution: Sussex University |
Year: 1970 | Degree: BA | Subject: Chemistry | Institution: New College, Oxford |
Work History
Years | Employer | Title | Department |
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Years: 1985 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Whitehead Professor | Department: Chemistry Dept. |
Responsibilities:Expert does research and teaching. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1982 to 1985 | Employer: Yale University | Title: Associate Professor | Department: Chemistry Dept. |
Responsibilities:Expert conducted research and taught students. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1977 to 1982 | Employer: Yale University | Title: Assistant Professor | Department: |
Responsibilities:Expert conducted research and taught students. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1973 to 1977 | Employer: CNRS (Gif-s-Yvette, France) | Title: Scientist | Department: |
Responsibilities:Expert conducted research. |
Government Experience
Years | Agency | Role | Description |
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Years: 2005 to 2015 | Agency: US DoE | Role: Reviewer | Description: He reviewed proposals. (Also NSF, NIH and numerous foreign agencies...) He also was on the Award committee for DOE for the ACS and other bodies. |
International Experience
Years | Country / Region | Summary |
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Years: 1990 to 2000 | Country / Region: France | Summary: Expert had frequent collaborative visits with academics and consulting visits with companies. (He speaks French). |
Years: 1993 to 2000 | Country / Region: Hong Kong | Summary: He advised the science funding agency. |
Years: 1995 to 1995 | Country / Region: Germany | Summary: He consulted for an oil/ chemicals company (oxidation, catalysis, alkene reactions). |
Years: 1999 to 1999 | Country / Region: Switzerland | Summary: He consulted for a combinatorial chemistry company (synthetic protocols, screening procedures). |
Years: 1995 to 2000 | Country / Region: UK | Summary: Expert lectured and consulted for oil/ chemical companies (lecturing on homogeneous catalysis). |
Career Accomplishments
Associations / Societies |
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Expert is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry and the American Academy. |
Professional Appointments |
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Expert was the Associate Editor (Americas/Asia) of the New Journal of Chemistry. |
Awards / Recognition |
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He has been awarded the Organometallic Chemistry Prizes of American Chemical Society and the Royal Chemical Society. He has been a named lecturer at Oxford, UC Berkeley, U Wisc., U. Mich etc. |
Publications and Patents Summary |
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Expert has published more than 500 papers in learned journals, three patents, and one book, which is now the standard text in the field. h = 97 |
Additional Experience
Expert Witness Experience |
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Expert was an expert witness for a number of cases including personal injury case and patent disputes. |
Training / Seminars |
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He has conducted many training courses for companies. |
Marketing Experience |
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Has consulted for several companies such as Exxon, Hyconix Corp., Air Products etc. |
Other Relevant Experience |
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Expert has broad experience in working with industrial problems where many factors--scientific and other--are important. |
Language Skills
Language | Proficiency |
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France | Expert lived in France for 5 years and his mother was French, so he is fluent in French. |
Fields of Expertise
petrochemistry, catalytic oxidation, organometallic chemistry, organometallic compound, organometallic reaction mechanism, environmental chemistry, homogeneous transition metal catalysis, hydrogen bond, hydrogen chemistry, catalytic hydrogenation, transition metal catalysis, transition metal catalyst, transition metal complex, biomimetic chemistry, fluorine chemistry, fluorocarbon, organoaluminum, gas analysis, organofluorine chemistry, combinatorial chemistry, nuclear magnetic resonance, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, oxidation catalyst, oxidation chemistry, oxidation reaction, alkene catalytic hydrogenation, alkyne catalytic hydrogenation, aromatic compound catalytic hydrogenation, catalysis, chlorofluorocarbon, chlorofluorocarbon chemistry, hydrogenation, hydrogenation catalyst, hydrogenation catalyst development, hydrosilation, inorganic chemistry, organomercury chemistry, organosilicon chemistry, oxidation-reduction reaction, palladium catalyst, palladium catalysis, organopalladium chemistry, palladium chemistry, palladium homogeneous catalysis, petrochemical catalysis, reactive dye, oxidation, assay protocol, fluoroaromatic, hydrogen sulfide absorption, dehydrofluorination, gas property, gas recovery, alcohol oxidation, fluorophosphine, gas detection, hydrogen sulfide abatement, carbonylation, metallocene, hydrogen fluoride recovery, environmental organic chemistry, organomercury compound, quantitative chemical analysis, qualitative chemical analysis, alkane chemistry, hydrogen sulfide, aluminum chemistry, hydrogen compound, fluoropolymer, infrared spectroscopy, environmental effect, volumetric analysis, organic chemistry, hydrogen sulfide environmental effect, hydrogen fluoride, homogeneous catalysis, chemical analysis extraction, chlorofluorocarbon global climate environmental effect, chlorofluorocarbon environmental effect, chemical analysis, catalysis reagent, alkene, alkane