research interests

Research interests include:  Development of green methodologies with a focus on palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions, mechanistic evaluation of heterogeneous catalysts, environmentally friendly student lab exercises, pen-based tablet software and course development, active learning, and classroom assessment.

Student experience:  Students work on a variety of projects that introduce them to state-of-the-art instrumentation and measurement devices. 

Product Identification and Purification

GC, HPLC, Mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy (¹³C, ¹H primarily), IR Spectroscopy, UV-Vis Spectroscopy, column chromatography are used in product identification and purification.

Above:  Eric Smith (left) and Amanda Isom (right) prepare GC samples.

Air-Sensitive Handling

Glove box and schlenk line techniques are used in the handling of air-sensitive or moisture-sensitive materials.

Above:  Amanda Isom (left) and Vincent Franco (right) demonstrate dry box and schlenk line techniques.

Organic Synthesis  

Students will synthesize and characterize various organic compounds such as those used in the pharmaceutical industry.

Above:  Amanda Isom (left) and Phillips Booher (right) purify and synthesize organic products.