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

Timmerman, Jacob C., et al. “Gold-Catalyzed Intermolecular, anti-Markovnikov Hydroarylation of Methylenecyclopropanes with Indoles.” Organic Letters, vol. 18, no. 19, Oct. 2016, pp. 4966–69. Epmc, doi:10.1021/acs.orglett.6b02431. Full Text

Harris, R. J., and R. A. Widenhoefer. “Gold carbenes, gold-stabilized carbocations, and cationic intermediates relevant to gold-catalysed enyne cycloaddition.” Chemical Society Reviews, vol. 45, no. 16, Aug. 2016, pp. 4533–51. Epmc, doi:10.1039/c6cs00171h. Full Text

Li, H., et al. “Kinetics and Mechanism of Allene Racemization Catalyzed by a Gold N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complex.” Organometallics, vol. 35, no. 13, July 2016, pp. 2242–48. Scopus, doi:10.1021/acs.organomet.6b00307. Full Text

Brooner, R. E. M., et al. “Effect of Substitution, Ring Size, and Counterion on the Intermediates Generated in the Gold-Catalyzed Intramolecular Hydroalkoxylation of Allenes.” Organometallics, vol. 35, no. 11, June 2016, pp. 2014–21. Scopus, doi:10.1021/acs.organomet.6b00306. Full Text

Bender, C. F., et al. “Mechanism of the Platinum(II)-Catalyzed Hydroamination of 4-Pentenylamines.” Organometallics, vol. 35, no. 2, Jan. 2016, pp. 113–25. Scopus, doi:10.1021/acs.organomet.5b00821. Full Text

Timmerman, J. C., and R. A. Widenhoefer. “Gold-Catalyzed Intermolecular anti-Markovnikov Hydroamination of Methylenecyclopropanes with 2-Pyridones.” Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis, vol. 357, no. 16–17, Nov. 2015, pp. 3703–06. Scopus, doi:10.1002/adsc.201500866. Full Text

Harris, Robert J., and Ross A. Widenhoefer. “Synthesis and Characterization of a Gold Vinylidene Complex Lacking π-Conjugated Heteroatoms.” Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English), vol. 54, no. 23, June 2015, pp. 6867–69. Epmc, doi:10.1002/anie.201501474. Full Text

Robertson, Bradley D., et al. “Tandem gold/silver-catalyzed cycloaddition/hydroarylation of 7-aryl-1,6-enynes to form 6,6-diarylbicyclo[3.2.0]heptanes.” Chemistry (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany), vol. 21, no. 15, Apr. 2015, pp. 5714–17. Epmc, doi:10.1002/chem.201500371. Full Text

Timmerman, Jacob C., et al. “Gold-catalyzed intermolecular anti-markovnikov hydroamination of alkylidenecyclopropanes.” Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English), vol. 54, no. 7, Feb. 2015, pp. 2251–54. Epmc, doi:10.1002/anie.201410871. Full Text

Kean, Zachary S., et al. “Photomechanical actuation of ligand geometry in enantioselective catalysis.” Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English), vol. 53, no. 52, Dec. 2014, pp. 14508–11. Epmc, doi:10.1002/anie.201407494. Full Text

Pages

Zhang, Zhibin, and Ross A. Widenhoefer. “ORGN 589-Gold(I)-catalyzed intermolecular hydroalkoxylation of allenes.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 236, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2008.

Bender, Christopher F., et al. “PRES 11-Platinum catalyzed intramolecular hydroamination of unactivated olefines with secondary alkylamines.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 235, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2008.

Zhang, Zhibin, and Ross A. Widenhoefer. “INOR 555-Gold-catalyzed enantioselective cyclization of allenyl alcohols.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 234, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2007.

Bender, Christopher F., and Ross A. Widenhoefer. “ORGN 188-Au(I)-catalyzed intramolecular hydroamination of unactivated olefins with carboxamides.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 232, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2006.

Zhang, Zhibin, and Ross A. Widenhoefer. “ORGN 187-Au(I)-catalyzed cyclizations of allenyl alcohols.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 232, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2006.

Bender, Christopher F., and Ross A. Widenhoefer. “INOR 437-Mechanism for the intramolecular hydroamination of unactivated olefins with secondary alkylamines.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 232, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2006.

Kinder, Robert E., et al. “ORGN 922-Au(I)-Catalyzed intramolecular hydroamination of allenyl carbamates.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 232, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2006.

Kinder, Robert E., and Ross A. Widenhoefer. “Rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric borylative cyclization of 1,6-enynes.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 231, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2006.

Bender, C. F., and R. A. Widenhoefer. “Intramolecular hydroamination of unactivated olefins with secondary alkylamines.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 230, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2005, pp. U3226–U3226.

Qian, H., and R. A. Widenhoefer. “Platinum-catalyzed intermolecular hydroamination of vinyl arenes with carboxamides.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 230, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2005, pp. U3226–U3226.

Pages