Cooperative CO2 Scission Paper is Out!

This one has been a long time coming, but it has been worth the wait!  Check out this fantastic work in Organometallics by Jim Zhang ’18, Teddy Donnell ’17, Paul Peterson ’18, and Mike Trenerry ’18, as well as our awesome collaborators Prof. Buck Taylor (and student Vanessa Eng) and Prof. Daron Janzen.  We provide experimental and computational evidence for silicon-assisted CO2 cleavage by an anomalous insertion mechanism, highlighting another mechanism by which silicon can play a key role in transforming CO2.

Seminar travel

Matt recently made seminar trips to Yale University, MIT, and Princeton University.  What a great chance to share the cool chemistry being explored by Carleton undergrads!  The trips provided a nice opportunity to chat with students and postdocs about careers at PUIs and to catch up with Carleton alumni Kaz Skubi ’11, Anna Brezny ’13, Mia Borden ’13, Joe Boerma ’13, and Paul Peterson ’18 (Paul was a great student host for Matt’s Princeton visit!).  Thanks to Pat Holland, Alex Radosevich, and Paul Chirik for great visits!

Congrats, thanks, and good luck!

Many thanks and congratulations are in order for Jim Zhang ’18, who just completed his time as a 5th-year research associate in the lab!  Over the past year, Jim has elaborated some fascinating new bimetallic chemistry of Co(I) silylenes, addressed some mysteries in our Rh CO2 chemistry, and ironed out some loose ends with Ru silylenes (for those who are counting, that’s 3 papers to add to the 2 he already completed as an undergrad).  After a well-deserved break this summer, Jim will be heading to Stanford University to pursue a PhD in Chemistry.  As if that all were not enough, Jim finished off his time at Carleton by getting married (see picture below).  Congratulations and best wishes to Jim and Lucy!

Awesome Alumni!

A belated congratulations to Whited group alumni and newly minted doctors Dan DeRosha ’13 and Alex Kosanovich ’14!  Dan earned his PhD in Chemistry from Yale University for work done with Prof. Pat Holland; he just started a postdoctoral position at Columbia University with Prof. Jon Owen.  Alex earned his PhD in Chemistry from Texas A&M University for work done in Prof. Oleg Ozerov‘s lab, and he will begin work at Dow in their polyurethanes division this summer.  Way to go!

Alex (left) and Dan (third from left), back when they were younger men and members of the first cohort of Whited Group students, in front of the (now defunct) Mudd Hall of Science!

New Organometallics Paper

Check out our recent collaborative work with Buck Taylor’s (University of Portland) lab on a combined experimental and computational approach to understanding unusual competitive mechanisms in alkene hydrogenation by Rh catalysts!  This paper describes work by Kate DeMeulenaere ’18 and Mike Trenerry ’18.  Congrats to all involved on this well-deserved recognition of some excellent work!

Every Carl for Carleton

Carleton just launched a $400M comprehensive campaign to increase funding for student financial aid, support innovative learning and teaching (including through a new integrated science facility that we will inhabit starting Fall 2019!), provide new opportunities for students to explore life after Carleton, and grow the annual fund.

Check out the launch video below (briefly featuring members of the Whited lab) and this press release, and thanks to our dedicated alumni, parents, and friends for supporting these areas that are so important for the future of all Carls!