Research Areas:
Herbert J. and Ann L. Siegel Dean
Danser Distinguished Faculty Chair
Professor
(610) 758-4048
Seeley G. Mudd, Room 796
Research Interests:
rare earth chemistry
mechanistic studies of single electron transfer and proton-coupled electron transfer
organometallic reaction mechanisms
calorimetry
Mechanistic studies of single electron transfer and proton-coupled electron transfer, rare earth chemistry, organometallic reaction mechanisms, calorimetry, applications of back-scattering interferometry for the study molecular recognition in nonaqueous media.
Selected Recent Publications:
“The Mechanism of Silver-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Fluorination” Patel, N.R.; Flowers, R.A., II J. Org. Chem. 2015, 80, 5834-5841.
“Proton Coupled Electron Transfer in Reductions of Arenes by SmI2-Water Complexes” Chiuck, T.V.; Flowers, R.A., II J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 11526-11531.
"Tuning the Redox Properties of the Titanocene(III)/(IV)-Couple for Catalysis in Single Electron Steps" Gansauer, A.; Hildebrandt, S.; Vogelsang, E.; Flowers, R.A., II Dalton Trans. 2016, 45, 448-452. Invited Frontier article.
"The Role of Solvents and Additives in Reactions of Samarium Diiodide and Related Reductants" Chciuk, T.V.; Flowers, R.A., II in Science of Synthesis, Marek, I., Ed.; Georg Thieme Verlag KG: Stuttgart. Book Chapter.
"The Origin and Prediction of Free-Solution Interaction Studies Performed Label-Free" Bornhop, D.J.; Kammer, M.N.; Kussrow, A.; Flowers, R.A., II; Meiler, J. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 2016, 113, E1595-E1604.
"Highly Active Titanocene Catalysts for Epoxide Hydrosilylation - Synthesis, Theory, Kinetics, EPR" Henriques, D.S.G.; Klare, S.; Zimmer, K.; Meyer, A.; Rojo-Wiechel, E.; Bauer, M.; Sure, R.; Grimme, S.; Schiemann, O.; Flowers, R.A., II; Gansauer, A. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2016 55, 7671-7675.
"High Affinity Proton Donors Promote Proton-Coupled Electron-Transfer Samarium Diiodide" Chiuck, T.V.; Anderson, W.R.; Flowers, R.A., II Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2016, 55, 6033-6036.
“Proton-Coupled Electron-Transfer in the Reduction of Carbonyls by SmI2-Water Complexes” Chiuck, T.V.; Anderson, W.R.; Flowers, R.A., II J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 8738-8741.
"Secondary Amides as Hydrogen Atom Transfer Promoters for Reactions of Samarium Diiodide" Chiuck, T.V.; Li, A. M.; Vazquez-Lopez, A.; Anderson, W.R.; Flowers, R.A., II Org. Lett. 2017, 19, 290-293.
"Catalytic Carbonyl Hydrosilylations via a Titanocene Borohydride-PMHS Reagent System" Fianu, G. D.; Schipper, K. C.; Flowers, R. A. II Catal. Sci. Technol. 2017, 7, 3469-3473. Journal Cover Feature and Designated a Hot Paper by the journal editors.
"The Reversibility of Ketone Reduction by SmI2-Water" Chiuck, T.V.; Anderson, W.R.; Flowers, R.A., II Organometallics 2017, 36, 4579-4583.
"Aza vs. Oxophilicity of SmI2: A Break of a Paradigm" Maity, S.; Flowers, R. A. II; Hoz, S. Chem. Eur. J. 2017, 23, 17070-17077.
"Kinetic Solvent Effects in the Reduction of Alkyl Halides by {Sm[N(SiMe3)2]2(THF)2}" Chciuk, T. V.; Maity, S.; Flowers, R. A. II J. Organomet. Chem. 2018, 857, 52-57.
“Cp2TiX Complexes for Sustainable Catalysis in Single Electron Steps” Richrath, R. B.; Olyschlager, T.; Hildebrandt, S.; Enny, D. G.; Fianu, G. D.; Flowers, R. A. II; Gansauer, A. Chem. Eur. J. 2018, 24, 6371-6379. Journal Cover Feature and Designated a Hot Paper by the journal editors
“The Interplay between Substrate and Proton Donor Coordination in Reductions of Unactivated Carbonyls by SmI2-Water Through Proton-Coupled Electron-Transfer” Chciuck, T.V.; Anderson, W.R.; Flowers, R.A., II J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 15342-15352.
“On the Aqueous Solvation of SmBr2 and the Mechanistic Impact of Substrate Reduction” Ramírez-Solís, A.; Bartulovich, C.O.; Chciuk, T.V.; Hernández-Cobos, J.; Saint-Martin, H.; Maron, L.; Anderson, W.R.; Li, A.M.; Flowers, R.A., II J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 16731-16739.