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Dr. Bukuo Ni
Dr. Bukuo Ni
Associate Professor
Phone:
903-886-5382
Fax:
903-468-6020
Office:
STC 303

Professional Vita (PDF)

RESEARCH INTERESTS

The Study of Transition Metal Ni, Cu, Ru, and Rh Complexes Catalyzed Asymmetric Reactions

The objective of my research projects is to develop novel chiral diamine ligands and their application for transition metal catalyzed asymmetric reactions. Due to the high demand and preference for the use of enantiopure compounds in the fields of pharmaceuticals, perfumes, food additives, etc., there has been a great interest in catalytic asymmetric synthesis as a tool for their efficient preparation. However, it has been a big challenge to obtain optically active compounds with good yields and selectivities. In the first phase of these projects, we will build on the knowledge gained from our previous work and design, synthesize and characterize various chiral diamines. In the second phase, the ability of the resulting chiral diamines as ligands for transition metals Ru, Cu, and Ni catalyzed asymmetric reactions will be carried out using selected asymmetric reactions such as Michael reaction, asymmetric transfer hydrogenation, and tandem reactions. Also, the extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (EESI-MS) analysis will be carried out to elucidate the structural information about the reaction intermediates and the coordination chemistry of diamine ligand with transition metal in order to better understand their influence on the asymmetric controls and to assist in optimizing their structures to give more effective chiral diamines. The knowledge gained will provide fundamental insights to better understand the mechanism of asymmetric induction for a wide range of reactions.

EDUCATION

  • 1999—2004. Ph.D in Organic Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (SIOC), Chinese Academy of Sciences

  • 1995—1999. B.S. in Organic Chemistry, Department of Chmistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

APPOINTMENT

  • 2012—Present.  Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, TAMU-Commerce

  • 2010 - 2012.  Interim Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, TAMU-Commerce

  • 2008—2010.  Research Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M  University-Commerce

  • 2005—2007. Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University-Commerce

  • 2004—2005. Senior Scientist, Sundia (Shanghai) MedTech Company Ltd. Shanghai, P. R. China

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

  1. CHEM 497&597: Transition metal-catalyzed organic reactions
  2. CHEM 513: Organic Mechanism and Structure
  3. CHEM 527: Chemical and Biochemical Characteristic Methods I
  4. Chem 528: Chemical and Biochemical Characteristic Methods II
  5. Chem 536: Organometallic Chemistry
  6. Chem 531: Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
  7. Chem 501: Graduate Seminar
  8. Chem 518: Thesis
  9. Chem 589: Organic Synthesis
  10. Chem 415 and 415L: Inorganic Chemistry
  11. CHEM 201: Organic Chemistry Tutorial
  12. CHEM 101 and 102: General Chemistry Tutorial
  13. CHEM 212L: Organic Chemistry Lab

AFFILIATIONS

American Chemical Society (ACS)

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

(1). I am currently serving as a reviewer for numerous journals, such as J. AM. Chem. Soc.; Org. Lett.; Chemical reviews; Adv. Synth. Catal.; Chem. Commun.; Synlett.; Tetrahedron; Tetrahedron Lett.; Lett. Org. Chem.; Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry, and Chirality. 

(2). Serve as a review for nation-wide proposals

ACS-PRF

(3). Serve as Editorial Board of dataset papers in Chemistry since 2012

GRANT SUPPORT

Prior Internal

1. "Chiral Pyrrolidine-Catalyzed Asymmetric Organic Reactions" Faculty Research Enhancement project, $8,000, 2009,9-2010,8

External

1."Development and Study of Chiral Organocatalysts for Asymmetric reactions" National Science Foundation, $329,681, 2012,6-2015,5

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS

  • Organocatalytic Direct Asymmetric Crossed-Aldol Reactions of Acetaldehyde in aqueous Media     Yupu Qiao, Qiankun Chen, Silong Lin, Bukuo Ni,* and Allan D. Headley* J. Org. Chem. 2013 in press

  • Asymmetric Michael reactions catalyzed by a Highly Efficient and rectclable Quaternary Ammonium ionic liquid-Supported Organocatlyst in Aqueous Media                                                                    Subrata K. Ghosh, Yupu Qiao, Bukuo Ni,* and Allan D. headley* Org. Biomol. Chem. 2013, 11, 1801.
  • Highly Asymmetric henry Reaction catalyzed by Chiral Copper(II) complexes                               Bukuo Ni* and Junpeng he Tetrahedron lett. 2013, 54, 462.
  • Highly Enanatioselective abd recyclable Organocatalytic michael Addition of Malonates to α,β-Unsaturated Aldehydes in aqueous media                                                                           Subrata k. Ghosh, Kritanjali Dhungana, Allan D. Headley,* and Bukuo Ni* org. Biomol.Chem.2012, 10, 8322.
  • Asymmetric michael reaction of Acetaldehyde with Nitroolefins catalyzed by High Wtaer-compatible organocatalysts in Aqueous Media                                                                                               Yupu Qiao, Junpeng He, Bukuo Ni,* and Allan D. Headley* Adv. Synth.Catal. 2012,354,2849.
  • The Application of recyclable Organocatalytic System to the Asymmetric Domino Michael/Henry Reaction in Aqueous Media                                                                                                            Poornima Chintala,Subrata K. Ghosh, Elizabeth Long, Allan D. Headley,* and Bukuo Ni* Adv. synth.catal. 2011, 353, 2905.
  • A Novel Recyclable Organocatalytic System for Highly Asymmetric Michael Addition of Aldehydes to Nitroolefins in Water                                                                                                                  Dhruba Sarkar, Ramesh Bhattarai, Allan D. Headley*, and Bukuo Ni* Synthesis 2011, 1993.
  • Highly Active Water-Soluble and Recyclable Organocatalyst for the Asymmetric1,4-Conjugate Addition of Nitroalkanes to α,β-Unsaturated Aldehydes

    Subrata K. Ghosh, Zilong Zheng, and Bukuo Ni* Adv. Synth. Catal. 2010, 352, 2378.

  • Diarylprolinol Silyl Ether Salts as New, Efficient, Water Soluble, and RecyclableOrganocatalysts for the Asymmetric Michael Addition in Water
    Zilong Zheng, Ben Perkins, and Bukuo Ni* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 50. Highlighted by SYNFACTS.
  • A Practical and Highly Efficient Hydroacylation Reaction of Aldehydes with Azodicarboxylates in Water                                                                                                                                 Qianying Zhang, Erica Parker, Allan D. Headley,* and Bukuo Ni* Synlett 2010, 2453.
  • Ionic Liquid-Supported (ILS) Catalysts for Asymmetric Organic Synthesis
    Bukuo Ni and Allan D. Headley* Chem. Eur. J. 2010, 16, 4426.
  • Di(methylimidazole)prolinol Silyl Ether Catalyzed Highly Michael Addition of Aldehydes to Nitroalkenes in Water
    Jianbin Wu, Bukuo Ni,* and Allan D. Headley* Org. Lett. 2009, 11, 3354. Highlighted bySYNFACTS.
  • Highly Efficient Hydroacylation Reaction of Aldehydes with Azodicarboxylates in IonicLiquid as Media
    Bukuo Ni,* Qianying Zhang, and Allan D. Headley* Adv. Synth. Catal. 2009, 351, 875.
  • Ionic Liquid-Supported (ILS) (S)-Pyrrolidine Sulfonamide, a Recyclable Organocatalyst for the Highly Enantioselective Michael Addition to Nitroolefins
    Bukuo Ni*, Qianying Zhang, Kritanjali Dhungana, and Allan, D. Headley* Org. Lett.2009, 11, 1037.
  • Design and Synthesis of Distereogenic Chiral Ionic Liquids and Their Use as Solvents for Asymmetric Baylis-Hillman Reactions
    Satish Garre, Erica Parker, Bukuo Ni* and Allan D. Headley* Org. Biomol. Chem. 2008,6, 3041 Highlighted by SYNFACTS.
  • Asymmetric Michael Addition Reactions of Aldehydes with Nitrostyrenes Catalyzed by Functionalized Chiral Ionic Liquids
    Qianying Zhang, Bukuo Ni,* and Allan D. Headley* Tetrahedron 2008, 64, 5091.
  • Pyrrolidine-Based Chiral Pyridinium Ionic Liquids (ILs) as Recyclable and Highly Efficient Organocatalysts for the Asymmetric Michael Addition Reactions.
    Bukuo Ni, Qianying Zhang, and Allan D. Headley* Tetrahedron Lett. 2008, 49, 1249.
  • Chiral Imidazolium Ionic Liquids: their Synthesis and Influence on the Outcomes of Organic Reactions

    Allan D. Headley* and Bukuo Ni Aldrichimica Acta 2007, Vol 40, No. 4 107.

  • Pyrrolidine-Based Chiral Pyridinium Ionic Liquids (ILs) as Recyclable and Highly Efficient Organocatalysts for the Asymmetric Michael Addition Reactions.
    Bukuo Ni, Qianying Zhang, and Allan D. Headley* Submitted toGreen Chem.2007.

  • Functionalized Chiral Ionic Liquid as Recyclable Organocatalyst for Asymmetric Michael Addition to Nitrostyrenes.
    Bukuo Ni, Qianying Zhang, and Allan D. Headley* Green Chem.20079, 737.

  • Design and Synthesis of Fused-Ring Chiral Ionic Liquids from Amino acid Derivatives.
    Bukuo Ni, Satish Garre, and Allan D. Headley* Tetrahedron Lett.200748, 1999.

  • Highly Enantioselective Michael Addition of Ketones to Nitroolefins Catalyzed by (S)-Pyrrolidine Arenesulfonamide
    Bukuo Ni, Qianying Zhang, and Allan D. Headley* Tetrahedron: Asymmetry 200718, 1443.

  • Ionic Liquid, [bmim][N(SO2CF3)2], Resulted in the First Catalyst-Free   Aminohalogenation of Electron-Deficient Alkenes.
    Yi-Ning Wang, Bukuo Ni, Allan D. Headley* and Guigen Li* Adv. Synth. Catal2007349, 319.

  • Solvation Effects on Imidazolium Salts that Contain Alkyl Side Chains.
    Allan D. Headley*, S. R. S. Saibabu Kotti# and Bukuo Ni,Heterocycles 200771, 589.

  • Design and Synthesis of Novel Pyridinium Chiral Ionic Liquids Tethered to a Urea Functionality.
    Bukuo Ni, Qianying Zhang, and Allan D. Headley* J. Org. Chem.200671, 9857.

  • Novel Imidazolium Chiral Ionic Liquids that Contain a Urea Functionality.
    Bukuo Ni and Allan D. Headley* Tetrahedron Letters200647, 7331.

  • The Design and Synthesis of C-2 Substituted Chiral Imidazole-Based Ionic Liquids from Amino Acid Derivatives.
    Bukuo Ni, Allan D. Headley*, and Guigen Li* J. Org. Chem. 2005,70, 10600.

  • Intramolecular double or triple Suzuki Coupling reaction of substituted di- or tribromobenzenes to afford fused tri- or tetracycles with a benzene core.
    Shengming Ma*, Bukuo Ni, Shaohui Lin, and Zhiqiang Liang J. Organomet. Chem. 2005690, 5389.

  • Exclusive Formation of Bicyclic Quinolizidine Alkaloid Skeleton via Double RCM reaction of N-Alkynyl-N-(1, ω)-alkadienyl Propenamide.
    Shengming Ma*, Bukuo Ni and Zhiqiang Liang J. Org.Chem2004,69, 6305.

  • Double RCM reaction of N-containing tetraenes. An efficient construction of bicyclic izidine alkaloid skeletons and the application to the synthesis of four stereoisomers of lupinine and their derivatives.
    Shengming Ma* and Bukuo Ni Chem. Eur. J. 200410, 3284.

  • Unexpected dramatic substituent effect for tuning the selectivity in the double ring-closing metathesis reaction of N-containing tetraenes. An efficient synthesis of bicyclic izidine alkaloid skeletons.
    Shengming Ma* and >Bukuo Ni Org. Lett. 20024, 639.

  • Intramolecular triple Heck reaction. An efficient entry to fused tetracycles with a benzene core.
    Shengming Ma* and Bukuo Ni J. Org. Chem. 200267, 8280.

  • Studes on the oxidative addition reaction of 1,1-dibromo-1-alkenes, a-dehalopalladation, and the intramolecular bis(carbopalladation) reaction of alkenes to afford fused bicycles.
    Shengming Ma*, Bin Xu and Bukuo Ni J. Org. Chem200065, 8532.