James P. Morken
Professor of Chemistry
Personal
  • Birth date: September 25, 1967 (Concord, CA).
Education and Research Experience
  • 7/2006 – Present, Professor of Chemistry, Boston College
  • 10/2002 - 6/2006, Associate Professor of Chemistry, UNC Chapel Hill.
  • 7/1997 - 10/2002, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, UNC Chapel Hill.
  • 4/1995 - 6/1997, Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University (Advisor: S. L. Schreiber).
  • 9/1990 - 4/1995, Ph. D., Boston College (Advisor: A. H. Hoveyda).
  • 1/1990 - 9/1990, Associate Research Chemist, ICI Americas, Inc., Agricultural Chemicals Research and Discovery Group, Richmond, CA.
  • 9/1985 - 12/1989, B. S. Chemistry, University of California at Santa Barbara (Advisor: B. Rickborn).
  • 6/1988 - 12/1989, Analytical Chemist, Central Coast Analytical Services, Santa Barbara, CA.
Honors and Awards
  • Astra-Zeneca Excellence in Chemistry Award, 2002.
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb Award in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, 2002.
  • David and Lucile Packard Foundation Fellow in Science and Engineering, 1998-2003.
  • Dow Innovation Recognition Award, 2001-2002.
  • DuPont Young Professor Grantee, 1998-2001.
  • GlaxoSmithKline Scholars Award, 2001-2002.
  • National Science Foundation, CAREER Award, 1998-2003.
  • Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Prize for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement, 2001.
  • Sloan Research Foundation Fellowship, 2002-2004.
  • National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemistry, 1995-1997.
  • ACS Organic Division Graduate Fellowship, Sponsored by Glaxo Research Labs, 1993.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
38.
“Development, Mechanism, and Scope of the Palladium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Allene Diboration” H. E. Burks, S. Liu and J. P. Morken J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, In Press.
37.
“Catalytic Conjugate Addition of Allyl Groups to Styryl-Activated Enones” J. D. Sieber, S. Liu and J. P. Morken J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, In Press.
36.
“Ethylene Oligomerization Catalyzed by a Unique Phosphine-oxazoline Pd(II) Complex. Propagation and Chain Transfer Mechanisms” M. D. Doherty, S. Trudeau, P. S. White, J. P. Morken and M. S. Brookhart Organometallics 2007, In Press.
35.
“Catalytic, Diastereoselective Allylation of Oshima-Utimoto Products” R. A. Dueñes and J. P. Morken Synlett, 2007, In Press.
34.
“Modular Asymmetric Synthesis of 1,2-Diols by Single-Pot Allene Diboration/Hydroboration/Cross-Coupling” N. F. Pelz and J. P. Morken, Organic Letters, 2006, 8, 4557.
33.
“StePHOX, A New Family of Optically Active, Tunable Phosphine-Oxazoline Ligands: Syntheses and Applications” S Trudeau and J. P. Morken, Tetrahedron 2006, 62, 11470.
32.
“Rh-Catalyzed Enantioselective Hydrogenation of Vinyl Boronates for the Construction of Secondary Boronic Esters.” W. J. Moran and J. P. Morken, Organic Letters, 2006, 8, 2413.
31.
“Pd-Catalyzed Tandem Asymmetric Allene Diboration/α-Aminoallylation.” J. D. Sieber and James P. Morken J. Am .Chem. Soc. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 74.
30.
“Concatenated Catalytic Asymmetric Allene Diboration-Allylation-Functionalization” A. R. Woodward, H. E. Burks, L. M. Chan, J. P. Morken Organic Letters, 2005, 7, 5505.
29.
“Short and Efficient Total Synthesis of Fraxinellone Limonoids Using the Stereoselective Oshima-Utimoto Reaction.” S. Trudeau, J. P. Morken Organic Letters, 2005, 7, 5465.
28.
“Rh-Catalyzed Enantioselective Diboration of Simple Alkenes: Reaction Development and Substrate Scope” S. Trudeau, J. B. Morgan, M. Shrestha, J. P. Morken J. Org. Chem., 2005, 70, 9538.
27.
“Studies in the Synthesis of the Inostamycin Natural Products: A Reductive Aldol / Reductive Claisen Approach to the C10-C24 Ketone Fragment” N. O. Fuller and J. P. Morken Organic Letters, 2005, 7, 2867.
26.
“Asymmetric Synthesis of (-)-Dihydroxanthatin by the Stereoselective Oshima-Utimoto Reaction.” M. A. Evans and J. P. Morken, Organic Letters 2005, 7, 3371.
25.
“Stereoselective Synthesis of Furans by the Pd-Catalyzed Oshima-Utimoto Reaction” M. A. Evans and J. P. Morken Organic Letters 2005, 7, 3367.
24.
“Direct Formation of Synthetically Useful Silyl-Protected Aldol Adducts via the Asymmetric Reductive Aldol Reaction” N. O. Fuller and J. P. Morken Synlett 2005, 1459.
23.
“Regioselective Homologation of Bis(boronate) Intermediates Derived from Rhodium Catalyzed Diboration of Simple Alkenes.” D. M. Kalendra, R. A. Dueñes, and J. P. Morken Synlett 2005, 1749.
22.
“Palladium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Diboration of Prochiral Allenes.” N. F. Pelz, A. R. Woodward, H. E. Burks, J. D. Sieber and J. P. Morken. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 16328.
21.
“Catalytic Enantioselective Hydrogenation of Vinyl Bis(boronates).” J. B. Morgan and J. P. Morken, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 15338.
20.
“Investigation of the Rh-Catalyzed Asymmetric Reductive Aldol Reaction. Expanded Scope Based on Reaction Analysis.” A. E. Russell, N. O. Fuller, S. J. Taylor, P. Aurriset and J. P. Morken, Organic Letters, 2004, 6, 2309.
19.
“Platinum-Catalyzed Tandem Diboration/Intramolecular Allylboration: Diastereoselective Access to Cyclohexanes Bearing 1,3-Diols” E. Ballard and J. P. Morken, Synthesis 2004, 9, 1321.
18.
“Catalytic Asymmetric Carbohydroxylation of Alkenes by a Tandem Diboration/Suzuki Cross-Coupling/Oxidation Reaction.” Steven P. Miller, Jeremy B. Morgan, Felix J. Nepveux V and James P. Morken, Organic Letters, 2004, 6, 131.
17.
“Rhodium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Diboration of Simple Alkenes”, J. B. Morgan, S. P. Miller and J. P. Morken, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 8702.
16.
“Platinum-Catalyzed Tandem Diboration/Asymmetric Allylboration: Access to Nonracemic Functionalized 1,3-Diols.”, Jeremy B. Morgan and James P. Morken, Organic Letters, 2003, 5, 2573.
15.
“Enantioselective Total Synthesis of Borrelidin.” M. O. Duffey, A. LeTiran and J. P. Morken, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 1458.
14.
“Catalytic Diastereoselective Reductive Claisen Rearrangement.” S. P. Miller and J. P. Morken, Organic Letters 2002, 4, 2743.
13.
“Isotopically Chiral Probes for in situ High-Throughput Asymmetric Reaction Analysis.” M. A. Evans and J. P. Morken, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 9020.
12.
“Stereoselective Synthesis of Trans β-Lactams Through Iridium-Catalyzed Reductive Coupling of Imines and Acrylates.” J. A. Townes, M. Evans, J. Quefflec, S. J. Taylor and J. P. Morken Organic Letters, 2002, 4, 2537.
11.
“Discovery of a Novel Synthetic Phosphatase from a Bead-Bound Combinatorial Library.” S. Danek, J. Queffelec and J. P. Morken, Chemical Communications 2002, 528.
10.
“500 μm Diameter Beads as Single Reactors to Screen Organometallic Catalysts: Discovery of a New Supported Catalyst for the Hydrosilylation of Ketones.” O. Lavastre and J. P. Morken, New Journal of Chemistry 2002, 26, 745-749.
9.
“Enantio- and Diastereoselective Reductive Aldol Reactions with Iridium-Pybox Catalysts”, C.-X. Zhao, M. O. Duffey, S. J. Taylor and J. P. Morken Organic Letters 2001, 3, 1829.
8.
“Generation of E-Silylketene Acetals in a Rhodium-DuPhos Catalyzed Two-Step Reductive Aldol Reaction.” C.-X. Zhao , J. Bass and J. P. Morken Organic Letters 2001, 3, 2839.
7.
“Development of the First Catalytic Asymmetric Aldol-Tishchenko Reaction. Insight into the Catalyst Structure and Reaction Mechanism.” C. M. Mascarenhas, S. P. Miller and J. P. Morken Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2001, 40, 601-603.
6.
“Efficient Lewis Acid Catalyzed Intramolecular Cannizzaro Reaction.”, A. E. Russell, S. P. Miller, J. P. Morken J. Org. Chem. 2000, 65, 8381.
5.
“Rhodium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Reductive Aldol Reaction.”, S. J. Taylor, M. O. Duffey and J. P. Morken J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 4528.
4.
“Catalytic Diastereoselective Reductive Aldol Reaction: Optimization of Interdependent Reaction Variables by Arrayed Catalyst Evaluation”, S. J. Taylor and J. P. Morken J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 12202.
3.
“Simple Metal-Alkoxides as Effective Catalysts for the Hetero Aldol-Tishchenko Reaction.” C. M. Mascarenhas, M. O. Duffey, S. Y. Liu and J. P. Morken Organic Letters 1999, 1, 1427.
2.
“Discovery of Novel Catalysts for Allylic Alkylation with a Visual Colorimetric Assay” O. Lavastre and J. P. Morken Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 1999, 38, 3163.
1.
“Thermographic Selection of Effective Catalysts from an Encoded Polymer-Bound Library” S. J. Taylor and J. P. Morken. Science, 1998, 280, 267.
Publications Not Subject to Peer Review
5.
Contribution for: Electronic Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis; “Bis(catecholato)diboron”; J. P. Morken, D. M. Kalendra.
4.
“Asymmetric Alkene Diboration: Novel Routes to Chiral Compounds” Specialty Chemicals Magazine, 2004, 24, 28.
3.
Contribution for: Electronic Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis; “(S,S)-Me-DuPhos and (R,R)-Me-DuPhos”; J. P. Morken, A. E. Russell and S. J. Taylor.
2.
Contribution for: High-Throughput Synthesis, Principles and Practice I. Sucholeiki, Ed. Marcel-Dekker, New York, 2001, “Selection of Effective Acyl Transfer Catalysts from a Polymer-Bound Library Using Infrared Thermography” J. P. Morken and S. J. Taylor.
1.
Contribution for: Metallocenes : Synthesis, Reactivity, Applications by Antonio Togni (Editor); “Asymmetric Catalysis with ebthi Complexes of Titanium and Zirconium” James P. Morken and Amir H. Hoveyda.
Publications from Postdoctoral and Graduate Work
11.
“Exploring the Leucine-Proline Binding Pocket of Src-SH3 Domain with Structure Based, Split-Pool Synthesis.” J. P. Morken, T. M. Kapoor, S. Feng, F. Shirai and S. L. Schreiber J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 30.
10.
“Phosphine-Directed Stereo- & Regioselective Ni-Catalyzed Reactions of Grignard Reagents with Allylic Ethers.” M. T. Didiuk, J. P. Morken and A. H. Hoveyda Tetrahedron 1998, 54, 1107.
9.
“Directed Regioselective Ni-catalyzed Alkylation and Hydride Addition of Allylic Ethers. A Remarkable Turnover in Regioselectivity.” J. P. Morken, M. T. Didiuk and A. H. Hoveyda Tetrahedron Lett. 1996, 37, 3613.
8.
“Enantioselective C-C and C-H Bond Formation Mediated or Catalyzed by Chiral ebthi Complexes of Titanium and Zirconium.” A. H. Hoveyda and J. P. Morken Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 1996, 35, 1262.
7.
“Directed Regio- and Diastereoselective Nickel-Catalyzed Addition of Alkyl Grignard Reagents to Allylic Ethers.” J. P. Morken, M. T. Didiuk and A. H. Hoveyda J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1995, 117, 7273.
6.
“Enantio-, Diastereo- and Regioselective Zirconium-Catalyzed Carbomagnesation of Cyclic Ethers With Higher Alkyls of Magnesium. Utility in Synthesis and Mechanistic Implications.” M. T. Didiuk, C. W. Johannes, J. P. Morken and A. H. Hoveyda J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1995, 117, 7097.
5.
“Zirconium-Catalyzed Kinetic Resolution of Pyrans.” J. P. Morken, M. T. Didiuk, M. S. Visser and A. H. Hoveyda J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1994, 116, 3123.
4.
“Zirconium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Carbomagnesation.” J. P. Morken, M. T. Didiuk and A. H. Hoveyda J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1993, 115, 6997.
3.
“Regio- and Stereoselective Carbon-Carbon Bond Formation Through Transition Metal Catalysis. The Influence of Catalyst Chirality on Selective Ethylmagnesation of Chiral, Non-Racemic Alcohols and Ethers.” A. H. Hoveyda and J. P. Morken J. Org. Chem. 1993, 58, 4237.
2.
“On the Mechanism of the Zirconium-Catalyzed Carbomagnesation of Alkenes. Efficient and Selective Catalytic Carbomagnesation with Higher Alkyls of Magnesium.” A. H. Hoveyda, J. P. Morken, A. F. Houri and Z. Xu J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1992, 114, 6692.
1.
“Stereoselective Zirconium-Catalyzed Ethylmagnesation of Homoallylic Alcohols and Ethers. The Influence of Internal Lewis Bases on Substrate Reactivity.” A. H. Hoveyda, Z. Xu, J. P. Morken and A. F. Houri J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1991, 113, 8950.
Patents
“Method and Apparatus for Screening Catalyst Libraries” J.P. Morken and S.J. Taylor, US Patent #6,242,262.
“Catalyzed Enantioselective Transformations of Alkenes” J. P. Morken, J. B. Morgan, N. F. Pelz, S. P. Miller PCT: WO 2005/012209