Division: Organic Chemistry/Inorganic Chemistry Specialty: Organometallic Chemistry and Catalysis Phone: 502-852-5977 Email: christopher.burns@louisville.edu Website: Burns Research Group

1996 B.S.    University of Idaho
2003 M.S.   University of Idaho
2005 Ph.D. University of Chicago
2005-2008  Postdoctoral Research Appointee in the Materials Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory

Transition metal mediated catalysis plays an important role in today’s world, and is involved in the production of pharmaceuticals, fine/commodity chemicals, and high performance polymers/co-polymers. A greater understanding of the reactivity of transition metal active species is vital to the development of new catalysts and new transformations. Research in the Burns group focuses on synthetic and mechanistic organometallic chemistry involving the design of novel organic based ligands and transition metal complexes for catalytic C-X (X = H, C, B, Si) bond formation. The Burns group employs ligand-oriented catalyst design, utilizing traditional organic synthesis, to target reactive single-site homogeneous transition metal catalysts. The challenges presented by this area of research are appealing because they offer chemists a chance to apply and develop new synthetic methodologies. Merging homogeneous catalysis and heterogeneous catalysis is another area of focus in the Burns group. A key ligand design element for many homogenous transition metal catalysts is for the ancillary ligand to possess steric bulk. This feature can greatly increase the difficultly of ligand synthesis. Utilization of the three-dimensional structure of periodic mesoporous silicas to the replace ligand steric bulk affords a new method of transition metal catalyst synthesis. New molecules and reactions discovered during the course of our research may challenge current ideas on structure, bonding, and reactivity. A wide range of synthetic and spectroscopic methods for the manipulation and characterization of reactive materials, including air- and moisture-sensitive manipulations using gloveboxes and Schlenk lines, multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, electrochemistry, molecular modeling and X-ray crystallography are employed. The research conducted in our labs is directed toward understanding the roles of transition metals in catalysis and developing new stoichiometric and catalytic transformations for converting readily available molecules such as olefins and alkanes into more valuable products.

• American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund - Doctoral New Investigator Program (50401-DNI3) - 2010
• University of Louisville College of Arts and Sciences - Victor A. Olorunsola Endowed Research Award - 2010
• University of Louisville Office of the Senior Vice President for Research - Intramural Research Incentive Grant (IRIG) - 2009
• University of Louisville Startup Funds - 2008

Thiophene-based Ionic Liquids: Synthesis, Physical Properties, Self-assembly and Oxidative Polymerization

Christopher T. Burns, Sung-won Lee, Sönke Seifert, and Millicent A. Firestone
Polym. Adv. Technol. 2008, 19, 1369-1382

Acidichromic Spiropyran-Functionalized Mesoporous Silica: Towards Stimuli-Responsive Metal Ion Separations Media
Christopher T. Burns, Sung-yeun Choi, Mark Dietz, and Millicent A. Firestone
Sep. Sci. Technol. 2008, 43, 2506-2519

Synthetic Utility of Epoxides for Chiral Functionalization of Isoxazoles
Jared K. Nelson, Christopher T. Burns, Miles P. Smith, Brendan Twamley, and Nicholas R. Natale
Tetrahedron Lett. 2008, 49, 3078-3082

Mechanism of Ethylene Oligomerization by a Cationic Palladium(II) Alkyl Complex that Contains a (3,5-Me₂-pyrazolyl)₂CHSi(p-tolyl)₃) Ligand
Mathew P. Conley, Christopher T. Burns, and Richard F. Jordan
Organometallics 2007, 26, 6750-6759

 Ethylene Polymerization by Sterically Crowded Palladium(II) Complexes that Contain Bis(heterocycle)methane Ligands
Christopher T. Burns, and Richard F. Jordan
Organometallics 2007, 26, 6737-6749

 Ethylene Dimerization by Cationic Palladium(II) Alkyl Complexes that Contain Bis(heterocycle)methane Ligands
Christopher T. Burns, and Richard F. Jordan
Organometallics 2007, 26, 6726-6736

 Acrylonitrile Insertion Reactions of Cationic Palladium Alkyl Complexes
Fan Wu, Steven R. Foley, Christopher T. Burns, and Richard F. Jordan
 J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 1841-1853

 Photochemical Synthesis of a Palladium Dichloromethyl complex, {(hexyl)HC(N-methyl-imidazol-2-yl)₂}Pd(CHCl₂)Cl.  X-Ray Molecular Structures of {(hexyl)HC(N-methylimidazolyl-2-yl)₂}Pd(X)Cl, X = Cl, and CHCl₂
Christopher T. Burns, Han Shen, and Richard F. Jordan
J. Organomet. Chem. 2003, 683, 240-248