Fall 2023 Seminars: Fridays, 11:45 am - 12:45 pm, Druck 016
Speaker: Andre K. Isaacs, Associate Professor of Chemistry, College of the Holy Cross
Seminar Title: "A Click Chemistry Approach to Nitrogen Heterocycles"
Date & Time: Friday, September 8, 11:45 am - 12:45 pm
Location: Druckenmiller Hall, Room 016
Abstract: Our research interests are centered on a very reliable organic reaction - the copper catalyzed cycloaddition of sulfonyl azides and terminal alkynes (CuAAC). Differential fragmentation of the resulting 1,2,3-triazole generates ketenimines or rhodium carbenoids which readily engage with a variety of nucleophiles to gain access to heterocycles of interest to the synthetic community. We demonstrate the utility of click chemistry in the synthesis of N-Heterocycles such as indolizines, dihydroisoquinolines and beta-lactams.
Bio: A native of Jamaica, André moved to the US to attend the College of the Holy Cross where he received his B.A. in Chemistry in 2005. As an undergraduate, he conducted research in the labs of Kevin J. Quinn focusing on the total synthesis of annonaceous acetogenins Muricatacin and Rollicosin. He received his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 2011 (under the guidance of Professor Jeffery D. Winkler), where he focused on the design and synthesis of novel steroid-derived inhibitors of Hedgehog-signaling, based on the alkaloid cyclopamine. He worked as a post-doctoral researcher with Professor Richmond Sarpong at the University of California, Berkeley, where he focused on the synthesis of diterpenoids and the radiolabeled insecticide chlorantraniliprole. In 2012, Andre accepted a tenure-track position at the College of the Holy Cross. In 2018, Andre was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure. In addition to teaching courses in Organic Chemistry, Andre conducts research utilizing copper-mediated organic transformations. He is one of the co-founding members of Outfront - the college's LGBTQ faculty and staff alliance and serves as faculty advisor to a number of student groups including the Caribbean African Students' Assemblage, acapella group Fools on the Hill and Club Tennis.
Speaker: Stephanie Lee, Associate Professor of Chemistry, New York University (NYU)
Date & Time: Friday, September 29, 1:10 - 2:10 pm (updated)
Location: Druckenmiller Hall, Room 016
Abstract: "Molecular crystals that twist as they grow introduce completely unexplored features to materials design. Here, we present growth-induced twists to molecular semiconductor crystals with the expectation that continually precessing crystallographic orientations can modulate interactions with photons and electrons. We have found that a variety of organic semiconductors and charge transfer complexes can be readily induced to grow from the melt as spherulites of tightly packed helicoidal fibrils. Because twisting exposes different crystallographic faces at the film/air interface, all crystal orientation-dependent properties, including absorptivity, emissivity, conductivity, solubility and reactivity, are patterned in the films. Twisting also imparts chirality to crystals, opening the possibility of repurposing centrosymmetric molecules for chiroptoelectronics."
Bio: Stephanie Lee joined the Department of Chemistry at New York University as an associate professor in January 2021. She received a BS in chemical engineering from MIT in 2007 and a PhD in chemical engineering and materials science from Princeton University in 2012. She was a Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the Molecular Design Institute at NYU from 2012-2014 before joining Stevens Institute of Technology as an assistant professor. Her research group studies the crystal engineering of solution-processable semiconductors for emerging optoelectronic applications, including flexible displays and photovoltaics. Their strategies involve the use of solution rheology to monitor and control semiconducting polymer network formation, scaffold-directed crystallization of small molecules into vertical crystal arrays and nanoconfined crystallization to shift the thermodynamics and stability of metal-halide perovskites for high performance solar cells. Lee is a recipient of the Stevens Early Career Award for Research Excellence and a 2019 NSF CAREER awardee.
Speaker: Christina Vizcarra, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Barnard College
Date & Time: Friday, October 20, 11:45 am - 12:45 pm
Location: Druckenmiller Hall, Room 016
Further Details: TBD
Speaker: Monica Marie Arroyo, Professor, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
Date: February 9, 2024
Further Details: TBD
Speaker: Lee Penn, Merck Professor of Chemistry, University of Minnesota
Date: February 23, 2024
Further Details: TBD
Speaker: Aurelia Honerkamp-Smith, Assistant Professor, Lehigh University
Date: March 29, 2024
Further Details: TBD
Speaker: Amanda Peiffer, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
