My research interests are in the field homogeneous catalysis. In particular, I'm interested in new asymmetric phosphorus-containing molecules that might be used in catalysis. There are several active projects that span the fields of green chemistry, biomimetic chemistry, and energy. A common thread through all projects is controlling the stereochemistry at phosphorus. Such molecules might be applied to aqueous asymmetric catalysis, metal-free catalysis, or for mimicking and studying the active sites of biologically relevant enzymes.
All projects involve a synthetic component, which means that we rely heavily on NMR spectroscopy for the characterization and study of new molecules. In addition to standard 1H and 13C{1H} experiments we also routinely run 31P as well as DEPT, COSY, and HETCOR experiments. Much of the chemistry we do is air and/or moisture sensitive and requires the use of either Schlenk line or glovebox manipulation. For additional details see the Facilities webpage.
Additionally, we collaborate with Jerry Jasinski and Brian Anderson at Keene State College in NH, or Arnie Rheingold at UC-San Diego for X-Ray crystallography. More recently we have collaborated with Matt Cain at the University of Hawaii at Manoa
If any of these topics are of interest and you like to make new molecules, stop by my office to learn more about the details and availability of specific projects.
Publications
12) Howard, M.P.; Miura-Akagi, P.M.; Chapp, T.W.; Ah-Tye, Y.J.H.; Kitano, T.; Zhou, D.Y.; Yoshida, W.Y.; Rheingold, A.L.; Borosky, G.L.; Laali, K.K.; Cain, M.F. Synthesis and Reactivity of a P–H Functionalized Benzazaphosphole. Polyhedron, 2024, 253, 116905.
11) Preston Miura-Agkagi, Timothy W. Chapp, Wesley Y. Yoshida, Glenn A. Yapp, Arnold L. Rheingold, Russell P. Hughes and Matthew F. Cain. Synthesis and Structure of Dearomatized and P-Halogenated Benzazaphospholes and Their Reactivity with Pt(0) Sources. Organometallics, 2023, 42, 672-688.
10) Beatrice L. Chinen, Jakub Hyvl, Daniel F. Brayton, Matthew M. Riek, Wesley Y. Yoshida, Timothy W. Chapp, Arnold L. Rheingold, and Matthew F. Cain. Trimerization and Cyclization of Reactive P-Functionalities Confined Within OCO Pincers. RSC Advances 2021, 11, 28602-28613. (Bold highlights a former Allegheny undergraduate from the class of 2014)
9) Muldoon, Jake A.; Varga, Balázs R.; Deegan, Meaghan M.; Chapp, Timothy W.; Eördögh, Ádám M; Hughes, Russell P.; Glueck, David S.; Moore, Curtis E.; Rheingold, Arnold L. Inversion of configuration at the phosphorus nucelophile in diastereoselective and enantioselective synthesis of P-stereogenic syn-phosphiranes from chiral epoxides. Angewandte Chemie International Edition. (Accepted and published online, February 26, 2018)
8) Developing and Maintaining a Successful Undergraduate Research Program; Chapp, Timothy W.,
Benvenuto, M. A., Eds.; ACS Symposium Series 1156; American Chemical Society: Washington,
D. C., 2013.
7) Guino-o, Marites A.; Zureick, Andrew H.; Blank, Natalia F.; Anderson, Brian J.;
Chapp, Timothy W.; Kim, Youngmin; Glueck, David S.; Rheingold, Arnold L. Synthesis
and Structure of Platinum Bis(phospholane) Complexes Pt(diphos*)(R)(X), Catalyst
Precursors for Asymmetric Phosphine Alkylation. Organometallics 2012 31, 6900-6910.
6) Chapp, Timothy W.; Schoenfeld, Adam J.; Sanderson, Matthew, D; Chang, Cory L.;
Glueck, David S.; Golen, James A.; Moore, Curtis E.; Rheingold, Arnold L. Synthesis,
Structure, Dynamics, and Selective Methylation of Platinum and Palladium
Diphosphametallacyclobutane Complexes. Organometallics 2012 31, 5573-5585.
5) Chapp, Timothy W.; Schoenfeld, Adam J.; Glueck, David S. The effect of linker
length on selectivity in platinum-catalyzed asymmetric alkylation of the
bis(isitylphosphino)alkanes IsHP(CH2)nPHIs (Is = 2,4,6-(i-Pr)3C6H2, n = 1-5).
Organometallics 2010 29, 2465-2473.
4) Lane, Elizabeth M.; Chapp, Timothy W.; Hughes, Russell P.; Glueck, David S.;
Feland, Brett C.; Bernard, Guy M.; Wasylishen, Roderick, E.; Rheingold, Arnold L.
Synthesis of gold phosphido complexes derived from bis(secondary) phosphines.
Structure of tetrameric [Au(MesP(CH2)3PMes)Au]4. Inorg. Chem. 2010 49, 3950-3957.
3) Chapp, Timothy W.; Glueck, David S.; Golen, James A.; Moore, Curtis, Rheingold,
Arnold L. Platinum-catalyzed asymmetric alkylation of bis(isitylphosphino)ethane: stereoselectivity
reversal in successive formation of two P-C bonds. Organometallics 2010 29, 378-388.
2) Ilagan, Robielyn P.; Chapp, Timothy W.; Hiller, Roger G.; Sharples, Frank P.; Polivka,
Tomas; Frank, Harry A. Optical spectroscopic studies of light harvesting by pigment-reconstituted
peridinin-chlorophyll-proteins at cryogenic temperatures. Photosynthesis Research 2006 90, 5-15.
1) Ilagan, Robielyn P.; Christensen, Ronald L.; Chapp, Timothy W.; Gibson, George N.;
Pascher, Torbjoern; Polivka, Tomas; Frank, Harry A. Femtosecond Time-Resolved
Absorption Spectroscopy of Astaxanthin in Solution and in a-Crustacyanin.
J. Phys. Chem. A 2005 109, 3120-3127.