Brian T. Connell
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., 2002, Harvard University
Contact
Information:
Department of Chemistry
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77842
Phone:
(979) 845-5746
Fax: (979) 458-2969
connell@chem.tamu.edu
Our research program is focused in the area of synthetic organic chemistry. Specifically, we are interested in (1) the development of new reagents and new reaction methods of broad utility, (2) enantioselective catalysis, and (3) the total synthesis of biologically interesting, structurally complex natural products.
The formation of carbon-carbon bonds is of fundamental importance in chemistry. We are interested in developing diastereoselective and enantioselective methods for the synthesis of small, chiral molecules which are difficult to synthesize using traditional methods. Our group designs chemical reactions to convert readily available starting materials into valuable products, forming new carbon?carbon bonds and often creating multiple stereogenic centers in a single, efficient chemical transformation.
Central to our research is the development and implementation of organometallic species which function as catalysts and intermediates in organic transformations. We are utilizing chiral, metal-based catalysts that are capable of performing selective organic transformations, with exclusion of detrimental, nonselective background processes and suppression of undesired byproducts.
In addition, a major focus of our research group is the total synthesis of biologically active, structurally complex natural products. Total synthesis provides challenging opportunities to test the limits of our newly developed methodology in a complex environment.
To perform these various synthetic studies, students in our group learn a full complement of organic and organometallic chemistry, and through extensive hands-on experimentation, become familiar with the implementation of current laboratory techniques, while routinely utilizing modern analytical instrumentation (HPLC, GC, NMR, IR, MS, X-ray).
Bugarin, A.; Connell, B. T. Acceleration of the Morita-Baylis-Hillman Reaction by a Simple Mixed Catalyst System. J. Org. Chem. 2009, 74, 4638-4641.
Bugarin, A.; Connell, B. T. Chiral, Electron-Rich Benzene-based NCN Pincer Complexes with Nickel(II) and Palladium(II): Efficient Synthesis and Analysis of Lewis Acidity. Organometallics, 2008, 27, 4357-4369.
Kang, J.-Y.; Bugarin, A.; Connell, B. T. Conversion of Nitrosobenzenes to Isoxazolidines: An Efficient Cascade Process Utilizing Reactive Nitrone Intermediates. Chem. Commun., 2008, 3522-2524.
Sanchez, Jr., R. P.; Connell, B. T. A Ruthenium-based Catalyst System for Hydrovinylation of Alkenes at Room Temperature. Organometallics, 2008, 27, 2902-2904.
Connell, B. T.; Kirkland, T. A.; Grubbs, R. H. Tungsten-Mediated Conversion of Acid Chlorides and Nitriles to Alkynes. Organometallics, 2005, 24, 4684-4686.
Evans, D. A.; Connell, B. T. Synthesis of the Antifungal Macrolide Antibiotic (+)-Roxaticin. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 10899-10905.
Evans, D. A.; Côté, B.; Coleman, P. J.; Connell, B. T. 1,5-Asymmetric Induction in Boron-Mediatedβ-Alkoxy Methyl Ketone Aldol Addition Reactions. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 10893-10898.
