Department of Chemistry
A headshot

Janet Bluemel
Professor

Contact
Department of Chemistry
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843-3255

P: 979-845-7749
F: 979-845-5629
bluemel@tamu.edu

Researcher ID

Current Activities

Major research interests in my group include (1) immobilized catalysts, (2) the surface chemistry of oxide materials and (3) solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

Immobilized catalysts (1) allow the advantages of heterogeneous catalysts to be combined with those of homogeneous catalysts. In particular, surface-immobilized homogeneous catalysts are easy to recycle, and can be highly active and selective. Furthermore they are amenable to systematic design. We find the most interesting results when heterobimetallic systems, such as the Sonogashira Pd/Cu catalyst for the coupling of aryl halides and terminal alkynes, are involved. Effective immobilization requires a thorough understanding of the surface chemistry of the oxide support materials (2). Therefore, we investigate not only the reactivity of metal complexes and linkers, but also their mobility on the surfaces.

The most powerful analytical tool for investigating amorphous materials is solid-state NMR spectroscopy (3). We optimized this method especially for surface-bound species, enabling us to study reactions on surfaces, or analyze the nature of our anchored linkers and catalysts.

These different research areas provide my students with a strong multidisciplinary background, spanning from synthetic chemistry, through materials sciences and catalysis, to surface analytical methods including solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Our expertise in these fields has led to many industrial contacts and collaborations.

Educational Background

Ph. D., 1989, Technical University of Munich

Nato Postdoctoral Fellow, 1989-1990, University of California, Berkeley

Assistant Professor (Habilitandin), 1990-1996, Technical University of Munich

Privatdozentin, 1996-1997, Technical University of Munich

Associate Professor, 1998-2007, University of Heidelberg

Selected Publications

  • "Molecular Dynamics and Surface Interactions of Nickelocene Adsorbed on Silica: A Paramagnetic Solid-State NMR Study", J. W. Benzie, G. E. Harmon-Welch, J. C. Hoefler, V. I. Bakhmutov, J. Blümel, Langmuir 2022, 38, 7422-7432. DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00301.
  • "Di(hydroperoxy)adamantane Adducts: Synthesis, Characterization and Application as Oxidizers for the Direct Esterification of Aldehydes", F. F. Arp, R. Ashirov, N. Bhuvanesh, J. Blümel, Dalton Trans. 2021, 50, 15296-15309. DOI: 10.1039/D1DT03243G.
  • "Di(hydroperoxy)cycloalkane Adducts of Triarylphosphine Oxides: A Comprehensive Study Including Solid-State Structures and Association in Solution", F. F. Arp, N. Bhuvanesh, J. Blümel, Inorg. Chem. 2020, 59, 13719-13732. DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.0c02087.
  • "Tetraphosphines with Tetra(biphenyl)silane and Stannane Cores as Rigid Scaffold Linkers for Immobilized Catalysts", J. H. Baker, N. Bhuvanesh, J. Blümel, J. Organomet. Chem. 2017847, 193-203. DOI: 10.1016/j.jorganchem.2017.03.034.
  • "Adsorption of Metallocenes on Silica", K. J. Cluff, J. Blümel, Chem. Eur. J. 201622, 16562-16575. DOI: 10.1002/chem.201603700.