New preprint in collaboration w/ the Gutierrez lab! ⚡️

A single phenyl group on ferrocene only shifts redox potential by 20 mV, yet can dramatically change its performance through proposed substrate-mediator π-interactions in Shono-type allylation.

chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26…

Excited to share our latest preprint from the Derosa Lab and Gutierrez Lab, where we report an electrocatalytic strategy for E-selective alkyne semi-hydrogenation using tandem electrocatalysis.

Preprint: chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26…

Note: Apical P should read as "PPh" - will correct in final version.

Congrats to @Yahuiiiiiiii and Siyuan on their Perspective in ACS Electrochemistry! We highlight strategies over the last ~10 years in Shono-type functionalization from tunable conditions to mediators, outlining exciting prospects for further development.

pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.10…

This is a really nice example of selectivity emerging from constraint, not just energetics.

The Co–O–C interaction looks less like a secondary stabilisation and more like a geometric gate in configuration space, effectively collapsing the accessible pathways so the Z-product nt reconstruction.

In that light, the DFT isn’t just explaining selectivity after the fact; it’s revealing a structure-first control mechanism, where redox mediation and MS-PCET act to maintain the constraint rather than drive the outcome.

That’s an interesting direction for thinking about scalability and robustness in catalytic design.

@derosalab @uclachem @ACSCatalysis

We are thrilled to see our collaborative work with the Gutierrez group at @uclachem published in @ACSCatalysis today! Congrats to @bryanparnitzke and team on an impressive study! More to come in this area soon, building on exciting mechanistic insights.

pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ac…

Congrats to Brett and Jillian on their e-SNAr strategy to enable azolation of electron-rich fluoroarenes now published in @angew_chem at a "Hot Paper"! Simple, scalable, and energy efficient - with new strategies to expand scope underway! #chemtwitter

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/an…

@angew_chem And a (laughably big) paper cake to celebrate! feat. Director's Cut TOC image

Fantastic visit at @UniofNottingham School of Chemistry today sharing some of our recent work in @derosalab using voltage control to enable selective electrosynthesis and catalysis. Thanks to @miriamoduill for the gracious hosting and organizing great discussions with faculty!

Congrats to Zi and team on the publication of our study on a redox mediator strategy to electroreductively harness Fe(I) in alkyne semi-hydrogenation! This work is now published in @ACSCatalysis - stay tuned for more from #TeamFe. #chemtwitter #newPI

pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ac…

We are grateful to the @acsprf for funding our proposal on arene functionalization strategies for upconversion of aromatic feedstocks!
Congrats to all the awardees this cycle: cen.acs.org/acs-news/ACS-B…

Congrats to Brett and Jillian on this incredibly powerful e-SNAr strategy! Synthetically enabling, extremely robust, and highly energy-efficient with as low as 20 mW of power at 50 mmol scale with a proposed uphill ET-promoted redox chain mechanism. Dump, stir, ⚡️ #chemtwitter

SNAr powers the engine of drug discovery and production, but electronic demands restrict access to important chemical space. We describe an e-SNAr strategy to bridge this gap that operates under air at RT with catalytic charge, simplifying scalability.

chemrxiv.org/engage/chemrxi…

Harnessing reduced Fe in electrocatalysis faces many challenges with respect over-reduction and catalyst instability. In this preprint, we describe a redox mediator strategy to tame a (P3P)Fe(I) species for semi-hydrogenation of alkynes as a model study:

chemrxiv.org/engage/chemrxi…

Huge congrats to our very own @bryanparnitzke for being awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship! We are so proud of you! 🎉🥳 #chemtwitter #nsfgrfp

San Diego, here we come! For anyone interested in what we've been up to, please consider stopping by one of our talks next week at ACS Spring 2025! #ACSSpring2025 #chemtwitter

Congrats to Bryan on a fantastic qualifying examination! We are so proud of you! #newPI #phdlife #chemtwitter

SAXITOXIN simplified: Appearing today in @ChemRxiv is a short, highly scalable, convergent approach to this entire natural product family using a tactical combination of radical retrosynthesis, biocatalysis (in collaboration with Merck), and C–H functionalization logic: chemrxiv.org/engage/chemrxi…

Congrats to our FIRST PhD Candidate, Leyla, on passing her qualifying exam with flying colors! We are so proud of you! #newPI #echem #phdlife

With the Gutierrez group @UCLA , we report a unique mode of electrocatalytic semi-hydrogenation to generate Z-alkenes using a redox mediator strategy. Distortion analyses by DFT reveal a distinct origin of stereoselectivity. Exciting times ahead!

chemrxiv.org/engage/chemrxi…

Amazing to collaborate with the legendary @Gutierrez_Lab !!