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Dr. Singleton
http://www.chem.tamu.edu/rgroup/singleton/ Our group studies organic, bioorganic, and organometallic reaction mechanisms by novel methodologies that we have developed. Foremost among these is our method for the high-precision combinatorial determination of small isotope effects at natural abundance. Compared to conventional methods for measuring isotope effects, our methodology is 1-2 orders of magnitude faster, is much more versatile, provides much greater information, and is more reliably accurate. The results of isotope effect studies and other mechanistic observations are combined with theoretical calculations to probe the fine details of reaction mechanisms. Current areas of interest include dynamics and tunneling in enzymatic reactions, the enzymatic cyclization of squalene oxide, organocatalysis by proline analogs, cycloaddition dynamics, C-H insertion reactions, and rhodium-catalyzed cyclopropenations. The cutting edge of mechanistic studies in our group deals with the impact of "dynamic effects" on organic and bioorganic reactions. In this context, dynamic effects are rate and selectivity observations that cannot be understood using the normal ideas of reaction barriers and transition state theory. We have uncovered ways in which dynamic effects can become important in ordinary reactions in solution, and we are most actively pursuing the observation and characterization of dynamic effects in diverse reactions. CBI trainees would learn our isotope effect methodology and learn to analyze the mechanistic significance of isotope effects for chemical reactions. Due to the rapidity of our methodology, it should be possible for a trainee to complete an isotope effect determination within the time frame of a rotation. In a more general sense, the trainees would receive broad exposure to the physical organic analysis of reaction mechanisms. My current students' research involves everything from ab initio calculations to growing yeast. |
