Paul S. Wagenknecht

Faculty Research Interests:

Though an inorganic chemist by training, most of my research questions are inspired by problems that have been solved in the exquisite and complex molecular machinery that comprise living systems. Examples of questions that pique my group's interest are: 1) How do the hydrogenase enzymes take kinetically inert hydrogen and utilize it as a reducing agent? 2) How are some organisms able to use CH₄ as a fuel when the C-H bond is so inert? 3) What affects rates of energy transfer such as occurs in the photosynthetic antenna complex? Thus, my projects fall into two basic categories: catalysis and photochemistry. Our approach to these problems is centered around the chemistry of the transition metals. In general, students in my group experience a broad range of techniques including synthesis, purification, analytical methods (NMR, IR, GC, emission, lifetime...), and kinetic analyses.

Recent Publications:

• David L. Grisenti, Marybeth Smith, Luxi Fang, Nicholas Bishop, Paul S. Wagenknecht "A convenient synthesis of isocyclam and [16]aneN₄ and the photophysics of their dicyanochromium(III) complexes", Inorganica Chimica Acta, 2009, in press.



• Grisenti, D. L.; Thomas, W. W.; Turlington, C. R.; Newsom, M. D.; Priedemann, C. J.; VsnDerveer, D. G.; Wagenknecht, P. S. "Emissive chromium(III) complexes with substituted arylethynyl ligands", Inorganic Chemistry, 2008, 47, 11452-11454.



• Michael T. Vagnini, W. Caleb Rutledge, Chuanjiang Hu, Donald G. VanDerveer, Paul S. Wagenknecht "Effects of Steric Constraint on Chromium(III) Complexes of Tetraazamacrocycles, 4. Comparison of the trans-Difluoro- Complexes of Tet a, 1,4-C₂-Cyclam and 1,11-C₃-Cyclam", Inorganica Chimica Acta, 2007, 127, 1482-1492.



• Jennifer L. Carriker, Paul S. Wagenknecht, Mitra A. Hosseini, Patrick E. Fleming "Transition Metal Catalyzed D₂/H₂O Exchange: Distinguishing Between the Single and Double Exchange Pathways", Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical, 2007, 127, 218-223.



• Robert T. Hembre, Paul S. Wagenknecht, and Jonathan M. Penney "Process for stabilizing enzymes with phosphine or phosphite compounds", U. S. Patent, 2007, 7,195,889.



• Vagnini, M. T.; Kane-Maguire, N. A. P.; Wagenknecht, P. S. "Effects of Steric Constraint on Chromium(III) Complexes of Tetraazamacrocycles, 3: Insights into the Temperature Dependent Radiationless Deactivation of the ²E_g (O_h) Excited State of trans-[Cr(N₄)(CN)₂]⁺ Complexes", Inorganic Chemistry, 2006, 45, 3789-3793.



• Rhett T. Watson, Chuanjiang Hu, Don VanDerveer, Derek T. Musashe, and Paul S. Wagenknecht "Synthesis and Characterization of a Highly-Topologically Constrained Tetraazamacrocyclic Ligand", Inorganic Chemistry Communications, 2006, 9, 180-182.



• Wagenknecht, P. S.; Hu, C.; Ferguson, D.; Nathan, L. C.; Hancock, R. D.; Whitehead, J. M.; Wright-Garcia, K.; Vagnini, M. T. "Effects of Steric Constraint on Chromium(III) Complexes of Tetraazamacrocycles, 2. Comparison of the Chemistry and Photobehavior of the trans-Dichloro- and trans-Dicyano- Complexes of Cyclam, 1,4-C₂-Cyclam and 1,11-C₃-Cyclam", Inorganic Chemistry, 2005, 44, 9518-9526.



• Watson, R.T.; Basinger, J.; Min, E.; Wagenknecht, P.S. "Synthesis of a Lewis Acid Bearing Cyclopentadienyl Ligand and its Tricarbonylmanganese(I) Complex.", Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, 2005, 127, 2159-2162.