Faculty Profiles

Ross A. Widenhoefer
Ross A. Widenhoefer
Professor of Chemistry
Office: 
124 Science Drive, 2101 French Science Center, Durham, NC 27708
Phone: 
(919) 660-1533
Fax: 
(919) 660-1605
ross.widenhoefer@duke.edu
Widenhoefer Research Group
Research Interests: 

Research in the Widenhoefer group is directed toward the development and mechanistic analysis of new organotransition metal-catalyzed transformations for application in the synthesis of functionalized organic molecules. In particular, our group has a long-standing interest in the functionalization of C–C multiple bonds with carbon and heteroatom nucleophiles catalyzed by electrophilic late transition metal complexes, with a recent focus on the synthetic and mechanistic aspect of gold(I) pi-activation catalysis. Current areas of inquiry include the following: 1) Gold(I) and Pt(II)-catalyzed hydroamination of alkenes an allenes. 2) Gold(I)-catalyzed dehydrative amination of underivatized allylic alcohols. 3) Synthesis and study of cationic, two-coordinate gold pi-complexes. 4) Evaluating the role of bis(gold) complexes in gold pi-activation catalysis. More detailed descriptions of these research projects can be found at our group web page.

Overview

Education:

Ph.D., University of Wisconsin at Madison 1994

B.A., Gustavus Adolphus College 1989

Research Areas:
Synthesis, Inorganic, Organic

Perch, Nicholas S., and Ross A. Widenhoefer. “Mechanism of palladium-catalyzed diene cyclization/hydrosilylation: direct observation of intramolecular carbometalation..” Journal of the American Chemical Society, vol. 126, no. 20, May 2004, pp. 6332–46. Epmc, doi:10.1021/ja049806f. Full Text

Wang, X., and R. A. Widenhoefer. “Platinum-Catalyzed Intermolecular Hydroamination of Unactivated Olefins with Carboxamides.” Organometallics, vol. 23, no. 8, Apr. 2004, pp. 1649–51. Scopus, doi:10.1021/om0498549. Full Text

Liu, Cong, et al. “Platinum-catalyzed intramolecular alkylation of indoles with unactivated olefins..” Journal of the American Chemical Society, vol. 126, no. 12, Mar. 2004, pp. 3700–01. Epmc, doi:10.1021/ja031814t. Full Text

Wang, Xiang, and Ross A. Widenhoefer. “Palladium(II)- and platinum(II)-catalyzed addition of stabilized carbon nucleophiles to ethylene and propylene..” Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England), no. 6, Mar. 2004, pp. 660–61. Epmc, doi:10.1039/b316734h. Full Text

Han, Xiaoqing, and Ross A. Widenhoefer. “Palladium-catalyzed oxidative alkoxylation of alpha-alkenyl beta-diketones to form functionalized furans..” The Journal of Organic Chemistry, vol. 69, no. 5, Mar. 2004, pp. 1738–40. Epmc, doi:10.1021/jo035576w. Full Text

Widenhoefer, R. A. “Palladium-catalyzed alkylation of unactivated olefins.” Pure and Applied Chemistry, vol. 76, no. 3, Jan. 2004, pp. 671–78. Scopus, doi:10.1351/pac200476030671. Full Text

Liu, C., and R. A. Widenhoefer. “Palladium-Catalyzed Cyclization/Carboalkoxylation of Alkenyl Indoles,.” J. Am. Chem. Soc., vol. 126, 2004, pp. 10246–47.

Han, X., et al. “"Palladium-Catalyzed Intramolecular Hydroalkylation of Alkenyl - β - Keto Esters, -Aryl Ketones, and Alkyl Ketones in the presence of Me3SiCl or HCI".” Chem. Eur J., vol. 10, 2004, pp. 6332–42.

Goj, L. A., et al. “Dramatic effect of homoallylic substitution on the rate of palladium-catalyzed diene cycloisomerization.” Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, vol. 687, no. 2, Dec. 2003, pp. 498–507. Scopus, doi:10.1016/j.jorganchem.2003.09.046. Full Text

Wang, Xiang, et al. “Palladium-catalyzed intramolecular hydroalkylation of unactivated olefins with dialkyl ketones..” Organic Letters, vol. 5, no. 15, July 2003, pp. 2699–701. Epmc, doi:10.1021/ol034879+. Full Text

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