Alison Wendlandt

Last updated
Alison E. Wendlandt
Born
Colorado
Alma mater University of Chicago
Yale University
University of Wisconsin
Scientific career
Institutions Harvard University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Thesis Design and development of quinone catalysts for aerobic C-N bond dehydrogenation reactions  (2015)

Alison Wendlandt is an American chemist who is an assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research considers the development of catalysts for organic synthesis.

Contents

Early life and education

Wendlandt is from Colorado. [1] She earned her bachelor's degree in chemistry at the University of Chicago. [2] She acquired her master's degree at Yale University. [2] Her graduate research initially considered chemical biology: how certain molecules interact human health. During her research she became more interested in reaction processes and what she could do to make them more efficient. [3] She moved to Wisconsin for her doctoral studies, where she worked alongside Shannon Stahl on the development of catalysts that mediate amine oxidation. [3] She then joined Harvard University as a postdoctoral fellow working alongside Eric Jacobsen. [2] [4]

Research and career

In 2018, Wendlandt joined the department of chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She works on the development of catalysts for organic chemistry. In particular, she develops dual catalysts for selective synthesis. Wendlandt used an enzyme from Streptomyces fradiae to drive the conversion of rare sugar isomers. [5] This simple one-site reaction allowed for the conversion of D-Glucose to D-allose (a potential candidate for low-calorie sweeteners) with a 40% yield. [6]

Wendlandt showed that a combination of polyanionic tungsten and disulfide could be used to drive enantioselective reactions. [7] [8] [9] The dual catalyst approach allowed her to make a breakthrough in alkene isomerization, making it possible to precisely control the interconversion of alkene regioisomers. [10] [11]

Awards and honors

Selected publications

Personal life

Wendlandt is queer, and was included as one of Chemical & Engineering News' Trailblazers in 2021. [1] [16] In an interview, Wendlandt described her experience of being LGBTQ+ in science: "I think being different, whatever that means — in my case, being LGBTQ — has been like a superpower." [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epoxide</span> Organic compounds with a carbon-carbon-oxygen ring

In organic chemistry, an epoxide is a cyclic ether, where the ether forms a three-atom ring: two atoms of carbon and one atom of oxygen. This triangular structure has substantial ring strain, making epoxides highly reactive, more so than other ethers. They are produced on a large scale for many applications. In general, low molecular weight epoxides are colourless and nonpolar, and often volatile.

In organic chemistry, hydroformylation, also known as oxo synthesis or oxo process, is an industrial process for the production of aldehydes from alkenes. This chemical reaction entails the net addition of a formyl group and a hydrogen atom to a carbon-carbon double bond. This process has undergone continuous growth since its invention: production capacity reached 6.6×106 tons in 1995. It is important because aldehydes are easily converted into many secondary products. For example, the resultant aldehydes are hydrogenated to alcohols that are converted to detergents. Hydroformylation is also used in speciality chemicals, relevant to the organic synthesis of fragrances and pharmaceuticals. The development of hydroformylation is one of the premier achievements of 20th-century industrial chemistry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wacker process</span> Chemical reaction

The Wacker process or the Hoechst-Wacker process refers to the oxidation of ethylene to acetaldehyde in the presence of palladium(II) chloride and copper(II) chloride as the catalyst. This chemical reaction was one of the first homogeneous catalysis with organopalladium chemistry applied on an industrial scale.

Oxidative coupling in chemistry is a coupling reaction of two molecular entities through an oxidative process. Usually oxidative couplings are catalysed by a transition metal complex like in classical cross-coupling reactions, although the underlying mechanism is different due to the oxidation process that requires an external oxidant. Many such couplings utilize dioxygen as the stoichiometric oxidant but proceed by electron transfer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organoruthenium chemistry</span>

Organoruthenium chemistry is the chemistry of organometallic compounds containing a carbon to ruthenium chemical bond. Several organoruthenium catalysts are of commercial interest and organoruthenium compounds have been considered for cancer therapy. The chemistry has some stoichiometric similarities with organoiron chemistry, as iron is directly above ruthenium in group 8 of the periodic table. The most important reagents for the introduction of ruthenium are ruthenium(III) chloride and triruthenium dodecacarbonyl.

The Tsuji–Trost reaction is a palladium-catalysed substitution reaction involving a substrate that contains a leaving group in an allylic position. The palladium catalyst first coordinates with the allyl group and then undergoes oxidative addition, forming the π-allyl complex. This allyl complex can then be attacked by a nucleophile, resulting in the substituted product.

Melanie Sarah Sanford is an American chemist, currently the Moses Gomberg Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Chemistry at the University of Michigan. She is a Fellow for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2016. She has served as an executive editor of the Journal of the American Chemical Society since 2021, having been an associate editor of the since 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam S. Veige</span>

Adam S. Veige is a professor of Chemistry at the University of Florida. His research focuses on catalysis and the usage of inorganic compounds, including tungsten and chromium complexes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Activation of cyclopropanes by transition metals</span>

In organometallic chemistry, the activation of cyclopropanes by transition metals is a research theme with implications for organic synthesis and homogeneous catalysis. Being highly strained, cyclopropanes are prone to oxidative addition to transition metal complexes. The resulting metallacycles are susceptible to a variety of reactions. These reactions are rare examples of C-C bond activation. The rarity of C-C activation processes has been attributed to Steric effects that protect C-C bonds. Furthermore, the directionality of C-C bonds as compared to C-H bonds makes orbital interaction with transition metals less favorable. Thermodynamically, C-C bond activation is more favored than C-H bond activation as the strength of a typical C-C bond is around 90 kcal per mole while the strength of a typical unactivated C-H bond is around 104 kcal per mole.

Clark Landis is an American chemist, whose research focuses on organic and inorganic chemistry. He is currently a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He was awarded the ACS Award in Organometallic Chemistry in 2010, and is a fellow of the American Chemical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Corinna S. Schindler is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Michigan. She develops catalytic reactions with environmentally benign metals such as iron, towards the synthesis of biologically active small molecules. For her research in the development of new catalysts, Schindler has been honored with several early-career researcher awards including the David and Lucile Packard Foundation Fellowship in 2016, the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship in 2017, and being named a member of the C&EN Talented 12 in 2017. Schindler has served on the Editorial Board of Organic and Bimolecular Chemistry since 2018.

Margaret M. Faul is an Irish American chemist and executive who has won multiple awards for innovations in process chemistry.

Alison Rae Hardin Narayan is an American chemist and the William R. Roush assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Additionally, she is a research assistant professor at University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute.

Julia Ann Kalow is an assistant professor of chemistry at Northwestern University. She is primarily a synthetic chemist, who works on polymers, photochemistry and tissue engineering. She is interested in synthetic strategies that can turn molecular structure and chemical reactivity into macroscopic properties. She has been awarded the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, Thieme Award and was selected by the University of Chicago as a Rising Star in Chemistry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemamala Karunadasa</span> Chemist

Hemamala Indivari Karunadasa is an assistant professor of chemistry at Stanford University. She works on hybrid organic – inorganic materials, such as perovskites, for clean energy and large area lighting.

The Stahl oxidation is a copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols to aldehydes and ketones. Known for its high selectivity and mild reaction conditions, the Stahl oxidation offers several advantages over classical alcohol oxidations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paula Diaconescu</span> Inorganic chemist

Paula L. Diaconescu is a Romanian-American chemistry professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is known for her research on the synthesis of redox active transition metal complexes, the synthesis of lanthanide complexes, metal-induced small molecule activation, and polymerization reactions. She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Kay Michille Brummond is an American synthetic chemist who is Professor of Chemistry and Associate Dean of Faculty at the University of Pittsburgh. Her interests consider cycloaddition reactions that can realise molecules and natural products for organic photovoltaics and targeted covalent inhibitors. She was elected a Fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in 2010, a Fellow of the AAAS in 2021, and awarded the ACS National Award for Encouraging Women into Careers in the Chemical Sciences in 2021.

Jennifer Schomaker is an American chemist who is a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her research considers the total synthesis of natural and unnatural products. She was selected as an American Chemical Society Arthur C. Cope Scholar Awardee in 2021.

Song Lin is a Chinese-American organic electrochemist who is an associate professor at Cornell University. His research involves the development of new synthetic organic methodologies that utilize electrochemistry to forge new chemical bonds. He is an Associate Editor of the journal Organic Letters, and serves on the Early Career Advisory Board of Chemistry - A European Journal. He was named by Chemical & Engineering News as one of their Trailblazers of 2022, a feature highlighting LGBTQ+ chemists in academia.

References

  1. 1 2 Roldan, Bec (2022-04-08). "ONE ON ONE WITH ALISON WENDLANDT". cen.acs.org. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  2. 1 2 3 "Alison Wendlandt to Join the Department – MIT Department of Chemistry". 20 March 2018. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  3. 1 2 "Alison Wendlandt (Ph.D. 2015)". 2016-08-18.
  4. ↑ Buchwald, Stephen L. (2020-01-23). "Eric Jacobsen @60". Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis. 362 (2): 287–288. doi: 10.1002/adsc.201901485 . ISSN   1615-4150. S2CID   213275760.
  5. ↑ Wang, Yong; Carder, Hayden M.; Wendlandt, Alison E. (February 2020). "Synthesis of rare sugar isomers through site-selective epimerization". Nature. 578 (7795): 403–408. Bibcode:2020Natur.578..403W. doi:10.1038/s41586-020-1937-1. ISSN   1476-4687. PMID   31940659. S2CID   210333060.
  6. ↑ Ramos-Figueroa, Josseline (2020-09-07). "Scientists find a shortcut to make a rare — and possibly healthier — sugar". Massive Science. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  7. ↑ Durrani2022-11-09T09:30:00+00:00, Jamie. "Chirality-flipping reaction could completely change total synthesis strategies". Chemistry World. Retrieved 2022-12-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ Zhang, Yu-An; Palani, Vignesh; Seim, Alexander E.; Wang, Yong; Wang, Kathleen J.; Wendlandt, Alison E. (2022-10-28). "Stereochemical editing logic powered by the epimerization of unactivated tertiary stereocenters". Science. 378 (6618): 383–390. Bibcode:2022Sci...378..383Z. doi:10.1126/science.add6852. ISSN   0036-8075. PMC   9974169 . PMID   36302032. S2CID   253183431.
  9. ↑ "Switching up tertiary stereocenters". cen.acs.org. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  10. ↑ "Whimsy and alkene isomerization in the Wendlandt Lab". MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  11. ↑ Occhialini, Gino; Palani, Vignesh; Wendlandt, Alison E. (2022-01-12). "Catalytic, contra -Thermodynamic Positional Alkene Isomerization". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 144 (1): 145–152. doi:10.1021/jacs.1c12043. hdl: 1721.1/141321 . ISSN   0002-7863. PMID   34968044. S2CID   245593922.
  12. ↑ "MIT appoints 14 faculty members to named professorships". MIT McGovern Institute. 2019-11-04. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  13. ↑ "Previous Winners - Thieme Chemistry - Georg Thieme Verlag". Thieme. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  14. ↑ "Beckman Foundation Announces 2021 Beckman Young Investigator Awardees". Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  15. ↑ "2021 NIH Director's New Innovator Award Recipients". commonfund.nih.gov. 2022-09-28. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  16. ↑ "Trailblazers 2021". cen.acs.org. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  17. ↑ "MIT in the media: 2022 in review". MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 22 December 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.