New Approaches to Hydride Manipulation

We are developing new catalysts and conditions to manipulate hydrides such as various C-H and other X-H bonds. Particularly, we're interested in coordinatively directed hydride abstraction and new reactions for complex molecule synthesis that feature C-H activation. It's like a "carrot and stick" approach, in which a Lewis acid directing group directs a target substrate to a reactive metal center.

To achieve these goals, we will employ strategies of catalyst design, thus exploring novel organometallic and coordination chemistry, and target-oriented new organic reaction development.

Chemical Probes for Biology and Medicine

Simultaneously and synergistically with our organometallic work, we are devising conceptually novel chemical tools for research and clinical use. Along these lines, we are currently developing the first ultrasound-activated MRI contrast agent.

Selected publications

 

1	Pennington-Boggio, M. K., Conley, B. L., Williams, T. J. (2012). A Ruthenium-Catalyzed Coupling of Alkynes with 1,3-Diketones. J. Organometallic Chem.. pp. in press.
2	Conley, B. L., Williams, T. J. (2012). Dual Site Catalysts for Hydride Manipulation. Comments Inorg. Chem.. (32), pp. 195-218.
3	Dawsey, A. C., Li, V., Hamilton, K. C., Jianmei, W., Williams, T. J. (2012). Copper-Catalyzed Oxidation of Azolines to Azoles. Dalton Trans.. pp. ASAP.
4	Wu, X., Boz, E., Sirkis, A. M., Chang, A. Y., Williams, T. J. (2012). Synthesis and Phosphate Binding of Guanidine-Functionalized Fluorinated Amphiphiles. J. Fluorine Chem.. Vol. 135, pp. 195-218.
5	Conley, B. L., Guess, D., Williams, T. J. (2011). A Robust, Air-Stable, Reusable Ruthenium Catalyst for Dehydro-genation of Ammonia Borane. J. Am. Chem. Soc.. Vol. 133, pp. 14212.
6	Williams, T. J., Kershaw, A. D., Li, V., Wu, X. (2011). An Inversion Recovery NMR Experiment. J. Chem. Ed.. Vol. 88 (5), pp. 665-669.
7	Conley, B. L., Williams, T. J. (2010). Dehydrogenation of Ammonia Borane by Shvo’s Catalyst. Chem. Commun.. (46), pp. 4815-4817.
8	Wender, P. A., Sirois, L. E., Stemmler, R. T., Williams, T. J. (2010). Highly Efficient, Facile, Room Temperature Intermolecular [5 + 2] Cycloadditions Catalyzed by Cationic Rhodium(I): One Step to Cycloheptenes and Their Libraries. Org. Lett.. Vol. 12 (7), pp. 1604-1607.
9	Conley, B. L., Williams, T. J. (2010). Thermochemistry and Molecular Structure of a Remarkable Agostic Interaction in a Heterobifunctional Ruthenium-Boron Complex. J. Am. Chem. Soc.. Vol. 132 (6), pp. 1764-1765.
10	Conley, B. L., Pennington-Boggio, M. K., Boz, E., Williams, T. J. (2010). Discovery, Applications, and Catalytic Mechanisms of Shvo’s Catalyst. Chem. Rev.. Vol. 110 (4), pp. 2294-2312.
11	Thorson, M. K., Klinkel, K. L., Wang, J., Williams, T. J. (2009). Mechanism of Hydride Abstraction by Cyclopentadienone-Ligated Metal Carbonyls (M = Ru, Fe). Eur. J. Inorg. Chem.. (2), pp. 295-302.
12	Williams, T. J., Caffyn, A. J., Hazari, N., Oblad, P. F., Labinger, J. A., Bercaw, J. E. (2008). C—H Bond Activation Mediated by Air-Stable [(diimineMII(OH)]22+ Dimers (M = Pd, Pt). J. Am. Chem. Soc.. Vol. 130, pp. 2418-2419.
13	Williams, T. J., Labinger, J. A., Bercaw, J. E. (2006). Reactions of Indene and Indoles with Platinum Methyl Cations: Indene C—H Activation, Indole p vs. Nitrogen Lone-Pair Coordination. Organometallics. Vol. 26, pp. 281-287.
14	Driver, T. G., Williams, T. J., Labinger, J. A., Bercaw, J. E. (2006). C—H Bond Activation by Dicationic Platinum(II) Complexes. Organometallics. Vol. 26, pp. 294-301.
15	Wender, P. A., Paxton, T. J., Williams, T. J. (2006). Rhodium Catalyzed [3+2] Cycloaddition Reactions of Cyclopropenones and Alkynes. J. Am. Chem. Soc.. Vol. 128, pp. 14814-14815.
16	Wender, P. A., Haustedt, L. O., Lim, J., Love, J. A., Williams, T. J., Yoon, J. (2006). Asymmetric Catalysis of the [5 + 2] Cycloaddition Reaction of Vinylcyclopropanes and p -Systems. J. Am. Chem. Soc.. Vol. 128, pp. 6302-6303.
17	Wender, P. A., Deschamps, N. M., Williams, T. J. (2004). The Intermolecular Dienyl Pauson-Khand Reaction. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.. Vol. 43, pp. 3076-3079.
18	Wender, P. A., Love, J. A., Williams, T. J. (2003). Rhodium-Catalyzed [5+2] Cycloaddition Reactions in Water. Synlett. pp. 1295-1298.
19	Wender, P. A., Williams, T. J. (2002). [(Arene)Rh(COD)]+ Complexes as Catalysts for [5+2] Cycloadditions. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.. Vol. 41, pp. 1550-4553.
20	Shen, H., Williams, T. J., Bott, S. G., Richmond, M. G. (1995). Ligand Substitution of the Redox-Active Diphosphine 4,5-Bis(diphenylphosphino)-4-cyclopenten-1,3-dione (bpcd) in the Alkynyl-Bridged Cluster Ru3(CO)9(µ2-H)( µ3-?2-C=C-tBu). Synthesis, X-ray Structure and Electrochemical Properties of Ru3(CO)7(µ2-H)(µ3-?2-C=C-tBu)(bpcd). J. Organomet. Chem.. Vol. 505, pp. 1-9.