MacGillivray Group's chemistry paper selected as "Spotlight" article in Journal of the American Chemical Society

Monday, August 7, 2017

Leonard MacGillivray
Leonard MacGillivray

A study by University of Iowa Professor Leonard MacGillivray’s research group has published a paper in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Journal editors selected to highlight the paper as a “Spotlight” article, a high honor.

The paper, “Supramolecular Construction of an Aldehyde–Cyclobutane via the Solid State: Combining Reversible Imine Formation and Metal–Organic Self-Assembly,” was published in June. Its authors are Shalisa M. Oburn, Dale C. Swenson, S.V. Santhana Mariappan, and MacGillivray.

Article abstract:

“A combination of metal–organic self-assembly and reversible imine formation is used to achieve an organic synthesis via the solid state. Imine bond formation is employed to install a pyridyl to the alkene trans-cinnamaldehyde while Ag(I) ions are used in a second step to assemble the pyridyl-functionalized alkene into a geometry in the solid state for an intermolecular [2 + 2] photodimerization. The alkene undergoes the cycloaddition reaction via a 1D coordination polymer to generate a pyridyl-functionalized cyclobutane stereoselectively and in quantitative yield. Removal of the pyridyl group affords the aldehyde-functionalized cyclobutane α-truxilaldehyde.”

MacGillivray is a professor in the Department of Chemistry, part of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, as well as in the College of Pharmacy.

The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers about 70 majors across the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. About 15,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by faculty at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all Iowa undergraduates through the college's general education program, CLAS CORE. About 80 percent of all Iowa undergraduates begin their academic journey in CLAS. The college confers about 60 percent of the university's bachelor's degrees each academic year.