91麻豆精品

Anthony Chianese

achianese

Anthony Chianese

Professor of Chemistry; Chair, Department of Chemistry

Department/Office Information

Chemistry
305 Wynn Hall
  • TWF  1:20pm - 2:20pm  (305 Wynn Hall)

Contact

(315) 228-7718

I grew up in Bethlehem, Connecticut, and went on to obtain a BA in 2001 from Drew University, conducting research with Barbara Petrack. After my graduate studies at Yale University under the direction of Robert Crabtree, I  earned my PhD in chemistry in 2005. After one year as an NRC postdoctoral research associate with Mike Gagn茅, I accepted a position as Assistant Professor here at 91麻豆精品 in 2006. I was promoted to Associate Professor in 2012 and to Professor in 2020.

My research focuses on homogeneous catalysis by transition-metal complexes. In the Chianese group, undergraduate students learn techniques for organic and inorganic synthesis, including the handling of air-sensitive compounds. We rely on multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography to characterize new products, and students gain direct experience with these methods. Many students in the group have had the opportunity to co-author publications in peer-reviewed journals, and to present their work at American Chemical Society National Meetings.

Education

BA, Drew University
PhD, Yale University

Publications

Publications at 91麻豆精品, Undergraduate Co-Authors in Bold

1.    Ye, Haitian; Keith, J. M.*, Chianese, A. R.* 鈥淒ual Active Forms of Milstein鈥檚 Catalyst for Ester Hydrogenation,鈥 Organometallics, 2026, 45, 1983-1997.  

2.    Humphries, A. L.; Tellier, G. A.; Smith, M. D.; Chianese, A. R.;* Peryshkov, D. V.* 鈥淣鈭扝 Bond Activation of Ammonia by a Redox-Active Carboranyl Diphosphine,鈥 J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2024, 146, 33159-33168.  

3.    Carbajal Perez, J. F.; Kirlin, F. L.; Reynolds, E. F.; Altomare-Jarczyk, C. E.; Joseph, B. T.; Keith, J. M.*; Chianese, A. R.* 鈥淎utocatalytic Activation of a Ruthenium-PNN-Pincer Hydrogenation Catalyst,鈥 ACS Catal., 2024, 14, 16497-16507.  

4.    Borden, O. J.; Joseph, B. T.; Head, M. C.; Ammons, O. A.; Kim, D. E.; Bonino, A. C.; Keith, J. M.;* Chianese, A. R.* 鈥淗ighly Enantiomerically Enriched Secondary Alcohols via Epoxide Hydrogenolysis,鈥 Organometallics, 2024, 43, 1490-1501.  

5.    Head, M. C.; Joseph, B. T.; Keith, J. M.*; Chianese, A. R.* 鈥淭he Mechanism of Markovnikov-Selective Epoxide Hydrogenolysis Catalyzed by Ruthenium PNN and PNP Pincer Complexes,鈥 Organometallics, 2023, 42, 347-356.  

6.    Kirlin, F. L., Borden, O. J., Head, M. C., Kelly, S. E., Chianese, A. R.* "Epoxide Hydrogenolysis Catalyzed by Ruthenium PNN and PNP Pincer Complexes," Organometallics, 2022, 41, 1025-1033.

7.    Pham, J.; Jarczyk, C. E.; Reynolds, E. F.; Kelly, S. E.; Kim, T.; He, T.; Keith, J. M.;* Chianese, A. R.* "The Key Role of the Latent N-H Group in Milstein's Catalyst for Ester Hydrogenation," Chem. Sci., 2021, 12, 8477-8492.

8.    He, T.; Buttner, J. C.; Reynolds, E. F.; Pham, J.; Malek, J. C.; Keith, J. M.;* Chianese, A. R.* "Dehydroalkylative Activation of CNN- and PNN-Pincer Ruthenium Catalysts for Ester Hydrogenation," J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2019, 141, 17404-17413.

9.    Le, L.; Liu, J.; He, T.; Malek, J. C.; Cervarich, T. N.; Buttner, J. C.; Pham, J.; Keith, J. M.;* Chianese, A. R.* "Unexpected CNN-to-CC Ligand Rearrangement in Pincer鈥揜uthenium Precatalysts Leads to a Base-Free Catalyst for Ester Hydrogenation," Organometallics, 2019, 38, 3311-3321. Front cover article.

10.   Le, L.; Liu, J.; He, T.; Kim, D.; Lindley, E. J.; Cervarich, T. N.; Malek, J. C.; Pham, J.; Buck, M. R.; Chianese, A. R.* "Structure-Function Relationship in Ester Hydrogenation Catalyzed by Ruthenium CNN-Pincer Complexes," Organometallics, 2018, 37, 3286-3297.  

11.   Kim, D.; Le, L.; Drance, M. J.; Jensen, K. H.; Bogdanovski, K.; Cervarich, T. N.; Barnard, M. G.; Pudalov, N. J.; Knapp, S. M. M.; Chianese, A. R.* "Ester Hydrogenation Catalyzed by CNN-Pincer Complexes of Ruthenium," Organometallics, 2016, 35, 982-989.

12.   Knapp, S. M. M.; Shaner, S. E.; Kim, D.; Shopov, D. Y.; Tendler, J. A.; Pudalov, D. M.; Chianese, A. R.* "Mechanistic Studies of Alkene Isomerization Catalyzed by CCC-Pincer Complexes of Iridium," Organometallics, 2014, 33, 473-484.

13.   Chianese, A. R.;* Drance, M. J.; Jensen, K. H.; McCollom, S. P.; Yusufova, N.; Shaner, S. E.; Shopov, D. Y.; Tendler, J. A. "Acceptorless Alkane Dehydrogenation Catalyzed by Iridium CCC-Pincer Complexes," Organometallics, 2014, 33, 457-464.

14.   Chianese, A. R.;* Shaner, S. E.; Tendler, J. A.; Pudalov, D. M.; Shopov, D. Y.; Kim, D.; Rogers, S. L.; Mo, A. "Iridium Complexes of Bulky CCC-Pincer N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands: Steric Control of Coordination Number and Catalytic Alkene Isomerization," Organometallics, 2012, 31, 7359-7367.

15.   Chianese, A. R.;* Mo, A.; Lampland, N. L.; Swartz, R. L.; and Bremer, P. T. "Iridium Complexes of CCC-Pincer N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands: Synthesis and Catalytic C-H Functionalization," Organometallics, 2010, 29, 3019-3026.

16.   Chianese, A. R.;* Rogers, S. L.; Al-Gattas, H."Palladium-Catalyzed Synthesis of Carbazoles from N-(2-Halophenyl)-2,6-diisopropylphenylanilines via C鈥揅 Cleavage," Tetrahedron Lett., 2010, 51, 2241-2243.

17.   Yan, H.; Wong, C.; Chianese, A. R.; Luo, J.; Wang, L.; Yin, J.; Zhong, C. J.* "Dendritic Arenethiol-Based Capping Strategy for Engineering Size and Surface Reactivity of Gold Nanoparticles," Chem. Mater., 2010, 22, 5918-5928.

18.   Chianese, A. R.;* Bremer, P. T.; Wong, C.; Reynes, R. J. "Rigid, Sterically Diverse N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Pyridine Chelates: Synthesis, Mild Palladation, and Palladium-Catalyzed Allylic Substitution," Organometallics, 2009, 28, 5244-5252.  

19.   Chianese, A. R.;* Mo, A.; Datta, D. "Flexible, Bowl-Shaped N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands: Substrate Specificity in Iridium-Catalyzed Ketone Hydrosilylation," Organometallics, 2009, 28, 465-472. 

20.   Chianese, A. R.*; Lee, S. J.; Gagn茅, M. R. "Electrophilic Activation of Alkenes by Platinum(II): So Much More Than a Slow Version of Palladium(II)," Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2007, 46, 4042-4059; Angew. Chem., 2007, 119, 4118-4136.

Publications at 91麻豆精品 where I collaborated as the crystallographer

21.   Wilson, K.; Wilson, K.-A.; Chianese, A. R., Lawrence, M. A. W. 鈥淢olecular sensing of late first row transition metals by 2-benzoylthiopheneketone thiophene-2-carboxylic acid hydrazone (bttcah). Crystal structure of [Cu(魏2-N,O-bttcah)2闭,鈥 Inorganica Chimica Acta, 2027, 604, 123445.

22.   Moffett, A. L.; Beams, E. L.; Zigbuo, J. D.; McMillen, C. D.; Chianese, A. R.; Green, K.-A.* 鈥淎n investigation of dinuclear nickel(II) complexes featuring double-bridging bis(N-heterocyclic carbene) ligands,鈥 Inorganica Chimica Acta, 2026, 592, 123032-123038.

23.   Zhang, C. S.; Beams, E. C.; Moffett, A. L.; Luo, C.; McMillen, C. D.; Chianese, A. R.; Green, K.-A.* 鈥淐omparison of Alkyl-Bridged Bis(N-Heterocyclic Carbene) Nickel Precatalysts: Structure and Catalytic Activity in the Reductive Cleavage and Suzuki鈥揗iyaura Reactions,鈥 ACS Omega, 2025, 10, 57354鈥57364.

24.   Werley, B. K.; Hou, X.; Bertonazzi, E. P.; Chianese, A. R.; Funk, T. W.* 鈥淪ubstituent Effects and Mechanistic Insights on the Catalytic Activities of (Tetraarylcyclopentadienone)iron Carbonyl Compounds in Transfer Hydrogenations and Dehydrogenations,鈥 Organometallics, 2023, 42, 3053-3065.

Supervised Publications

25.   Leung, C. H.; Chianese, A. R.; Crabtree, R. H.* "A Chelating Rhodium N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complex by Transmetallation from a Silver-NHC Intermediate," Inorg. Synth., 2010, 35, 84-87.

26.   Tarselli, M. A.; Chianese, A. R.; Gagn茅, M. R.* "Gold(I)-Catalyzed Asymmetric Cycloisomerization of Ene-allenes into Vinyl-cyclohexenes," Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2007, 6670-6673.

27.   Voutchkova, A. M.; Appelhans, L. N.; Chianese, A. R.; Crabtree, R. H.* "Disubstituted Imidazolium-2-Carboxylates as Efficient Precursors to N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes of Ru, Rh, Ir and Pd," J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2005, 127, 17624-17625. 

28.   Li, X. W.; Chianese, A. R.; Vogel, T.; Crabtree, R. H.* "Intramolecular Alkyne Hydroalkoxylation and Hydroamination Catalyzed by Iridium Hydrides," Organic Letters 2005, 7, 5437-5440.

29.   Appelhans, L. N.; Zuccaccia, D.; Kovacevic, A.; Chianese, A. R.; Miecznikowski, J. R.; Macchioni, A.; Clot, E.; Eisenstein, O.*; Crabtree, R. H.* "An Anion-Dependent Switch in Selectivity Results from a Change of C-H Activation Mechanism in the Reaction of an Imidazolium Salt With IrH5(PPh3)2," J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 16299-16311.  

30.   Chianese, A. R.; Crabtree, R. H.* "Axially Chiral Bidentate N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands Derived from BINAM: Rhodium and Iridium Complexes in Asymmetric Ketone Hydrosilylation," Organometallics 2005, 24, 4432-4436.

31.   Chianese, A. R.; Zeglis, B. M.; Crabtree, R. H.* "Unexpected Oxidative C-C Cleavage in the Metallation of 2-Substituted Imidazolium Salts to Give N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes," Chem. Commun. 2004, 2176-2177. 

32.   Chianese, A. R.; Kovacevic, A.; Zeglis, B. M.; Faller, J. W.*; Crabtree, R. H.* "Abnormal C5-Bound N-Heterocyclic Carbenes: Extremely Strong Electron Donor Ligands and their Iridium(I) and Iridium(III) Complexes," Organometallics2004, 23, 2461-2468. 

33.   Mata, J. A.; Chianese, A. R.; Miecznikowski, J. R.; Poyatos, M.; Peris, E.; Faller, J. W.*; Crabtree, R. H.* "Reactivity Differences in the Syntheses of Chelating N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes of Rhodium are Ascribed to Ligand Anisotropy," Organometallics 2004, 23, 1253-1263.

34.   Chianese, A. R.; Crabtree, R. H.* "Pincer and Chelate N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes of Rh, Ir, and Pd: Synthetic Routes, Dynamics, Catalysis, Abnormal Binding, and Counterion Effects," In Activation and Functionalization of C-H Bonds; Goldberg, K. I., Goldman, A. S., Eds.; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2004; Vol. 885, pp 169-183.

35.   Chianese, A. R.; Li, X. W.; Janzen, M. C.; Faller, J. W.; Crabtree, R. H.* "Rhodium and Iridium Complexes of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes via Transmetalation: Structure and Dynamics," Organometallics2003, 22, 1663-1667. 

Note: (*) denotes corresponding author (primary investigator)

External Funding

External Funding, as PI

鈥NSF #CHE-2555885, $350,000; 2026-2029, co-PI: Jason M. Keith. 鈥淩UI: Advancing the State of the Art in Metal-Ligand-Cooperative Hydrogenation through Mechanistic Understanding鈥

鈥American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund #69532-UR4, $70,000; 2026-2029. 鈥淒evelopment and Mechanistic Study of Ruthenium-Pincer Catalysts for the Reduction of Carbon-Halogen Bonds鈥

鈥NSF #CHE-2247229, $360,000; 2023-2026, co-PI: Jason M. Keith. "RUI: Improving Activity and Selectivity in Ruthenium-Catalyzed Hydrogenation Reactions Through Mechanistic Understanding鈥

鈥NSF #CHE-1954924, $335,631; 2020-2023. 鈥淩UI: Mechanistic Studies of Ruthenium-Catalyzed Ester Hydrogenation鈥

鈥NSF #CHE-1665144, $294,593; 2017-2020. 鈥淩UI: Development of a Non-Cooperative Ruthenium Catalyst for Ester Hydrogenation鈥

鈥NSF #CHE-1362501, $225,000; 2014-2018. 鈥淩UI: Bifunctional Catalysts for the Hydrogenation and Dehydrogenation of Polar Bonds鈥

鈥NSF #CHE-1057792, $219,000; 2011-2014. 鈥淩UI: Alkane Dehydrogenation Catalyzed by CCC-Pincer Complexes of Iridium鈥

鈥American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund #46754-GB3, $40,000; 2007-2010. 鈥淏owl-Shaped Ligands for Secondary-Sphere Control of Selectivity in Homogeneous Catalysis"

鈥Research Corporation Cottrell College Science Award #7106, $42,750; 2007-2010. "Visor N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands: An Approach to Secondary-Sphere Regulation of Selectivity in Homogeneous Catalysis"

External Funding, as co-PI

鈥NSF Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure #OAC-2346664, $499,948; 2024-2026. 鈥淐C* Campus Compute: 91麻豆精品 Compute Acceleration for Research and Education鈥

鈥Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, Beckman Scholars Program - 91麻豆精品, $104,000; 2019-2022, Faculty mentor

鈥NSF Major Research Instrumentation #CHE-1726308, $345,783; 2017-2020. 鈥淢RI: Acquisition of an NMR console, multinuclear probe, and autosampler to advance research and undergraduate research training鈥

鈥Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, Beckman Scholars Program - 91麻豆精品, $104,000; 2016-2019, Faculty mentor

鈥NSF Major Research Instrumentation #CHE-0819686, $410,700; 2008-2011, Co-PI. "MRI: Acquisition of a Gemini R Ultra X-ray Diffractometer for Structural Biology and Chemistry鈥

Courses Taught
  • CHEM 101: General Chemistry I
  • CHEM 102: General Chemistry II
  • CHEM 111: Chemical Principles
  • CHEM 212: Inorganic Chemistry
  • CHEM 263: Organic Chemistry I
  • CHEM 264: Organic Chemistry II
  • CHEM 381: Practical Quantitative Analysis
  • CHEM 387: Structure and Analysis: Small-Molecule X-Ray Crystallography
  • CHEM 415: Organometallic Chemistry
  • CORE 102/FSEM 122: Molecules, Energy, and the Environment