Current Research

     The research program of Stephen DiMagno concerns the development of new robust macrocyclic ligands for a variety of catalytic and photochemical studies. The principal thrust of this work is directed toward the synthesis of new types of porphyrins and porphyrinoid pigments that are resistant to chemical and photochemical oxidation, and their incorporation into polymeric films and glasses. Enhanced chemical stabilities (as well as solubility, volatility and processibility) are imparted to the porphyrin ligands by fluorine substitution, either directly on the macrocycle periphery or on the side-chains. This strategy has led to the design and synthesis of two new classes of heavily fluorinated compounds, meso-perfluoroalkylated porphyrins such as 5,10,15,20-tetrakis (heptafluoropropyl) porphyrin, and b-octafluorinated derivatives represented by 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octafluoro-5,10,15,20-tetrakis (pentafluorophenyl) porphyrin. These ligands have been shown to promote alkane functionalization chemistry in rhodium derivatives, and have proven to be useful probes for delineating stereoelectronic effects in porphyrins generally.
    This work is supported by ONR and by the Nebraska Research Initiative through the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience.

Recent Key Publications

H. Sun, R. Xue, A. P. Nelson, J. Redepenning and S. G. DiMagno, Inorg. Chem. 42, 4507-4509 (2003).

H. Sun, V. V. Smirnov and S. G. DiMagno, Inorg. Chem. 42, 6032-6040, (2003).

J. C. Biffinger, H. Sun, A. P. Nelson and S. G. DiMagno, Org. Biomol. Chem. 1, 733- (2003).

Recent Graduates and Current Affiliations

· Hong Woo Kim, Ph. D. (2000), now scientist at Valeant Pharmaceutical in San Diego, CA.
· Valeriy V. Smirnov, Ph. D. (2004), now postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University.