Barbara Burger

Last updated
Barbara Burger
Barbara Burger Open Congress Austin 2023.jpg
Burger in 2023
Alma mater University of California, Berkeley
University of Rochester
California Institute of Technology
Scientific career
Institutions Chevron Corporation
Thesis Olefin Insertion and β-Elimination Reactions of Permethylniobocene Olefin Hydride and Permethylscandocene Alkyl Complexes  (1987)

Barbara Burger is an American chemist who is Energy Director and former President of Chevron Technology Ventures at Chevron Corporation. She was awarded the California Institute of Technology Alumni Award in 2021.

Contents

Early life and education

Burger was an undergraduate student at the University of Rochester. [1] She was a graduate student in chemistry at California Institute of Technology, and has a degree in business from University of California, Berkeley. [2] Her doctoral research considered olefin insertion and β-Elimination reactions of permethylniobocene olefin hydride. [3] She worked alongside John E. Bercaw, and Paul Chirik described her thesis as one of the "most influential in mechanistic organometallic chemistry". [2] Here she co-authored Vacuum Line Techniques for Handling Air-sensitive Organometallic Compounds, [4] which documented vacuum line techniques that enabled researchers to handle air sensitive organometallic compounds. [4]

Research and career

In 1987, Burger joined Chevron as a research chemist. [5] She worked in industrial chemistry, and, in 2013, took on the role of President of Technology Ventures. [2] In this capacity, she invested in over one hundred startups. [6] Here she developed technologies to enhance the way that Chevron delivers energy, with a focus on decarbonisation. [7]

Burger is on the external advisory council for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Houston Symphony Society and the University of Rochester. [2] [8] At the University of Rochester, Burger donated $1 million to create the iZone, an innovation space for Rochester students. [1] She eventually returned to California to establish at fellowship for women chemists to build careers outside of academia. She also funded the California Institute of Technology Women in Chemistry (WIC) program. She was awarded the Caltech Alumni Association award in 2021. [9]

Burger retired from Chevron in 2021. [10] [11] She joined the Board of Directors of Heliogen, a renewable energy company, in 2022. [12]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organometallic chemistry</span> Study of organic compounds containing metal(s)

Organometallic chemistry is the study of organometallic compounds, chemical compounds containing at least one chemical bond between a carbon atom of an organic molecule and a metal, including alkali, alkaline earth, and transition metals, and sometimes broadened to include metalloids like boron, silicon, and selenium, as well. Aside from bonds to organyl fragments or molecules, bonds to 'inorganic' carbon, like carbon monoxide, cyanide, or carbide, are generally considered to be organometallic as well. Some related compounds such as transition metal hydrides and metal phosphine complexes are often included in discussions of organometallic compounds, though strictly speaking, they are not necessarily organometallic. The related but distinct term "metalorganic compound" refers to metal-containing compounds lacking direct metal-carbon bonds but which contain organic ligands. Metal β-diketonates, alkoxides, dialkylamides, and metal phosphine complexes are representative members of this class. The field of organometallic chemistry combines aspects of traditional inorganic and organic chemistry.

Organopalladium chemistry is a branch of organometallic chemistry that deals with organic palladium compounds and their reactions. Palladium is often used as a catalyst in the reduction of alkenes and alkynes with hydrogen. This process involves the formation of a palladium-carbon covalent bond. Palladium is also prominent in carbon-carbon coupling reactions, as demonstrated in tandem reactions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schwartz's reagent</span> Chemical compound

Schwartz's reagent is the common name for the organozirconium compound with the formula (C5H5)2ZrHCl, sometimes called zirconocene hydrochloride or zirconocene chloride hydride, and is named after Jeffrey Schwartz, a chemistry professor at Princeton University. This metallocene is used in organic synthesis for various transformations of alkenes and alkynes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malcolm Green (chemist)</span> British chemist (1936–2020)

Malcolm Leslie Hodder Green was Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Oxford. He made many contributions to organometallic chemistry.

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

Organoaluminium chemistry is the study of compounds containing bonds between carbon and aluminium. It is one of the major themes within organometallic chemistry. Illustrative organoaluminium compounds are the dimer trimethylaluminium, the monomer triisobutylaluminium, and the titanium-aluminium compound called Tebbe's reagent. The behavior of organoaluminium compounds can be understood in terms of the polarity of the C−Al bond and the high Lewis acidity of the three-coordinated species. Industrially, these compounds are mainly used for the production of polyolefins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John E. Bercaw</span> American chemist (born 1944)

John E. Bercaw is an American chemist and Centennial Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus at the California Institute of Technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organozirconium and organohafnium chemistry</span>

Organozirconium chemistry is the science of exploring the properties, structure, and reactivity of organozirconium compounds, which are organometallic compounds containing chemical bonds between carbon and zirconium. Organozirconium compounds have been widely studied, in part because they are useful catalysts in Ziegler-Natta polymerization.

In organometallic chemistry, a migratory insertion is a type of reaction wherein two ligands on a metal complex combine. It is a subset of reactions that very closely resembles the insertion reactions, and both are differentiated by the mechanism that leads to the resulting stereochemistry of the products. However, often the two are used interchangeably because the mechanism is sometimes unknown. Therefore, migratory insertion reactions or insertion reactions, for short, are defined not by the mechanism but by the overall regiochemistry wherein one chemical entity interposes itself into an existing bond of typically a second chemical entity e.g.:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organocobalt chemistry</span> Chemistry of compounds with a carbon to cobalt bond

Organocobalt chemistry is the chemistry of organometallic compounds containing a carbon to cobalt chemical bond. Organocobalt compounds are involved in several organic reactions and the important biomolecule vitamin B12 has a cobalt-carbon bond. Many organocobalt compounds exhibit useful catalytic properties, the preeminent example being dicobalt octacarbonyl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organoscandium chemistry</span> Chemistry of compounds containing a carbon to scandium chemical bond

Organoscandium chemistry is an area with organometallic compounds focused on compounds with at least one carbon to scandium chemical bond. The interest in organoscandium compounds is mostly academic but motivated by potential practical applications in catalysis, especially in polymerization. A common precursor is scandium chloride, especially its THF complex.

Organoplatinum chemistry is the chemistry of organometallic compounds containing a carbon to platinum chemical bond, and the study of platinum as a catalyst in organic reactions. Organoplatinum compounds exist in oxidation state 0 to IV, with oxidation state II most abundant. The general order in bond strength is Pt-C (sp) > Pt-O > Pt-N > Pt-C (sp3). Organoplatinum and organopalladium chemistry are similar, but organoplatinum compounds are more stable and therefore less useful as catalysts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organorhodium chemistry</span> Field of study

Organorhodium chemistry is the chemistry of organometallic compounds containing a rhodium-carbon chemical bond, and the study of rhodium and rhodium compounds as catalysts in organic reactions.

An insertion reaction is a chemical reaction where one chemical entity interposes itself into an existing bond of typically a second chemical entity e.g.:

Karen Ila Goldberg is an American chemist, currently the Vagelos Professor of Energy Research at University of Pennsylvania. Goldberg is most known for her work in inorganic and organometallic chemistry. Her most recent research focuses on catalysis, particularly on developing catalysts for oxidation, as well as the synthesis and activation of molecular oxygen. In 2018, Goldberg was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

T. Don Tilley is a professor of chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Chirik</span> American chemist and professor

Paul James Chirik is an American chemist known for his work in sustainable chemistry using Earth-abundant metals like iron, cobalt, and nickel to surpass the performance of more exotic elements traditionally used in catalysis. He is the Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Chemistry and chair of the chemistry department at Princeton University.

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

A lanthanocene is a type of metallocene compound that contains an element from the lanthanide series. The most common lanthanocene complexes contain two cyclopentadienyl anions and an X type ligand, usually hydride or alkyl ligand.

β-Carbon elimination is a type of reaction in organometallic chemistry wherein an allyl ligand bonded to a metal center is broken into the corresponding metal-bonded alkyl (aryl) ligand and an alkene. It is a subgroup of elimination reactions. Though less common and less understood than β-hydride elimination, it is an important step involved in some olefin polymerization processes and transition-metal-catalyzed organic reactions.

Suzanne Cathleen Bart an American chemist who is a professor of inorganic chemistry at Purdue University. Her group's research focuses on actinide organometallic chemistry, and especially the characterization of low-valent organouranium complexes, actinide complexes with redox-active ligands, and discovery of new reactions that utilize these compounds. Bart's research has applications in the development of carbon-neutral fuel sources and the remediation of polluted sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organoberyllium chemistry</span> Organoberyllium Complex in Main Group Chemistry

Organoberyllium chemistry involves the synthesis and properties of organometallic compounds featuring the group 2 alkaline earth metal beryllium (Be). The area remains understudied, relative to the chemistry of other main-group elements, because although metallic beryllium is relatively unreactive, its dust causes berylliosis and compounds are toxic. Organoberyllium compounds are typically prepared by transmetallation or alkylation of beryllium chloride.

References

  1. 1 2 "iZone Barbara J. Burger".
  2. 1 2 3 4 Chirik, Paul J. (2022-07-11). "Pioneers and Influencers in Organometallic Chemistry: A Profile of Dr. Barbara Burger". Organometallics. 41 (13): 1587–1589. doi:10.1021/acs.organomet.2c00233. ISSN   0276-7333. S2CID   250468153.
  3. Burger, Barbara J. (1987). Olefin Insertion and β-Elimination Reactions of Permethylniobocene Olefin Hydride and Permethylscandocene Alkyl Complexes (phd thesis). California Institute of Technology.
  4. 1 2 BURGER, B. J.; BERCAW, J. E. (1988-10-11). "ChemInform Abstract: Vacuum Line Techniques for Handling Air-Sensitive Organometallic Compounds". ChemInform. 19 (41). doi:10.1002/chin.198841354. ISSN   0931-7597.
  5. "Barbara Burger". Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  6. "Leadership in the Innovation Economy 2022: Barbara Burger". Global Venturing. 2022-02-09. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  7. "Chevron Announces Leadership Changes". www.businesswire.com. 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  8. "Barbara Burger, Chevron | Top 275 | Energy Council" . Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  9. "Caltech Alumni Association | Award Recipient: Barbara Burger". www.alumni.caltech.edu. Retrieved 2022-09-17.
  10. "Chevron Announces Leadership Changes". www.businesswire.com. 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2022-09-17.
  11. McCulley (58ee0563cc81d), Russell (2022-03-25). "Burger to step aside... but she's not about to stand down | Upstream Online". Upstream Online | Latest oil and gas news. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  12. Amirkhanian, Valod (2022-09-14). "Heliogen Announces Appointment of Industrial Energy Transition Veteran Barbara Burger to Board of Directors". Heliogen. Retrieved 2022-09-18.