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Steven Malcolmson

Associate Professor of Chemistry
Chemistry
Box 90346, Durham, NC 27708-0346
1103 French Science Center, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


The discovery of catalysts is of great importance to the practice of modern synthetic chemistry, both to improve upon the existing catalog of chemical transformations and to generate new modes of reactivity.  Research in the Malcolmson lab focuses on the discovery of novel methods for the efficient and selective synthesis of small molecule scaffolds through the design and development of new catalysts.  In these transformations, we seek to realize new synthetic bond disconnections while also controlling some aspect of selectivity (e.g., enantio-, and/or site selectivity).  The catalysts and methods developed in the group are being applied to the synthesis of biologically active molecules to drive the development of new chemistry as well as help to address problems in human health.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor of Chemistry · 2020 - Present Chemistry, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences

In the News


Published September 21, 2021
Meet the Newly Tenured Faculty of 2021
Published March 23, 2016
New Class of Molecular ‘Lightbulbs’ Illuminate MRI

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Recent Publications


Catalysis-enabled amine sorting.

Journal Article Nature chemistry · December 2024 Full text Cite

Shattering the mirror with copper catalysis

Journal Article Nature Synthesis · September 1, 2024 Racemic ketones are converted to stereoisomerically enriched homoallylic alcohols by copper-catalysed enantioconvergent allylation. ... Full text Cite

Copper-Catalyzed Diastereo-, Enantio-, and (Z)-Selective Aminoallylation of Ketones through Reductive Couplings of Azatrienes for the Synthesis of Allylic 1,2-Amino Tertiary Alcohols.

Journal Article Journal of the American Chemical Society · July 2024 We introduce a method for the (Z)-selective aminoallylation of a range of ketones to prepare allylic 1,2-amino tertiary alcohols with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivity. Copper-catalyzed reductive couplings of 2-azatrienes with aryl/alkyl a ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Strategies for the Catalytic Synthesis of Nitrogen-Containing Molecules

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of General Medical Sciences · 2022 - 2027

Developing Next-Generation Hyperpolarization Methods for Chemical Analysis

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2020 - 2025

Pharmacological Sciences Training Grant

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPreceptor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2020 - 2025

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Education, Training & Certifications


Boston College · 2010 Ph.D.
Boston University · 2004 B.A.