Research

Research priorities: asymmetric catalysis, kinetics, organic chemistry, reaction mechanisms, homochirality

Donna G. Blackmond’s research focuses on mechanistic studies of organic reactions, including asymmetric catalysis. She pioneered the methodology of “Reaction Progress Kinetic Analysis (RPKA)” for fundamental mechanistic studies of complex organic reactions. She studies prebiotic chemistry and the origin of biological homochirality.

Donna G. Blackmond’s focuses on blending the quantitative aspects of her chemical engineering background together with the synthesis of complex organic molecules by catalytic routes, particularly asymmetric catalysis with application in pharmaceutical processes. This work led to development of Reaction Progress Kinetic Analysis (RPKA), a methodology combining highly accurate in-situ data collection with a rigorous mathematical and graphical approach that permits “kinetic-assisted mechanistic analysis” of complex reaction networks.

Her research efforts involve experimental, computational, and theoretical investigations of complex organic reactions and reaction networks including asymmetric organocatalytic reactions, Pd-catalyzed C-C and C-N bond forming reactions, asymmetric hydrogenation, competitive reactions including kinetic resolutions, and investigations of nonlinear effects in stoichiometric, catalytic, and autocatalytic reactions.

Donna G. Blackmond’s theoretical work has derived relationships between catalyst enantiopurity and reaction rate that expand the power of this tool as a meaningful mechanistic probe. This work led into another area of fundamental research probing the origin of biological homochirality, a phenomenon that may itself be considered a remarkable nonlinear effect.

Her team has expanded the range of models from proposals based purely on chemical reactions, including symmetry breaking in asymmetric autocatalysis, to models based on physical phase behavior of chiral molecules as well as a combination of chemical and physical processes. They seek to rationalize the evolution of biological homochirality with experimental work and theoretical models.

Career

• since 2018 Department Chair, California Campus, Scripps Research, La Jolla, USA
• since 2010 Professor of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, USA
• since 2010 Visiting Professor, Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine, London, UK
• 2004-2010 Professor of Chemistry, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Chair in Catalysis, Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine, London, UK
• 1999-2003 Professor and Chair in Physical Chemistry, University of Hull, Hull, UK
• 1996-1999 Group Leader, C3 Equivalent Professor, Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
• 1995-1996 Professor of Technical Chemistry, University of Essen, Essen, Germany
• 1992-1995 Associate Director, Technical Operations, Merck & Company Inc., Rahway, USA
• 1984-1992 Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
• 1984-1989 Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
• 1989-1992 Associate Professor (with tenure) and BP America Faculty Fellow, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
• 1992-1999 Adjunct Professor, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
• 1984 PhD, Chemical engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA
• 1981 Master of Science, Chemical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
• 1980 Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA

Functions

• since 2020 Member, External Advisory Board, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, UK
• since 2020 Member, External Advisory Board, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California (UC) Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, USA
• since 2019 Member, External Advisory Board, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, USA
• since 2019 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, ChemRxiv, American Chemical Society (ACS), USA, German Chemical Society (GDCh), Royal Society of Chemistry, UK, Chinese Chemical Society (CCS), China and Chemical Society of Japan (CSJ), Japan
• since 2019 Committee Chair, Section 3 “Search”, National Academy of Engineering, USA
• since 2019 Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Chemical Science
• since 2019 Member, External Advisory Board, UK Catalysis Hub, UK
• since 2019 Member, External Advisory Board, ROAR, Imperial College London, London, UK
• 2011-2017 Member, Chemical Sciences Roundtable, National Academy of Sciences, USA
• 2014-2016 Member, Peer Committee, National Academy of Engineering, USA
• since 2016 Associate Editor, Journal of Organic Chemistry
• since 2015 Member, Editorial Board, ACS Central Science
• since 2015 Member, Editorial Board, Reaction Chemistry & Engineering
• since 2006 Member, Editorial Board, Organic Letters
• 2006-2013 Member, Editorial Board, OPRD
• 2004-2006 Member, Editorial Board, Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry
• 2002-2004 Member, Advisory Board, Chemical & Engineering News
• 2002-2016 Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Journal of Organic Chemistry
• since 2000 Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis
• 1999-2004 Member, Editorial Board, Catalysis Letters
• 1997 Member, Board of Visitors, Engineering Directorate, National Science Foundation (NSF), USA
• 1994-2000 Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Catalysis
• 1994-1998 Director, Organic Reactions Catalysis Society (ORCS), USA

Projects

• since 2020 Center for Synthetic Organic Electrochemistry, NSF, USA
• since 2013 Simons Investigator, Simons Collaboration on the Origins of Life, Simons Foundation, New York City, USA
• since 2012 Center for Selective C-H Functionalization, NSF, USA
• 2003-2005 Consortium “From Micrograms to Multikilos”, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Swindon, UK

Honours and Memberships

• 2023 James Flack Norris Award, American Chemical Society, USA
• 2022 Robert Robinson Award, Royal Society of Chemistry, UK
• since 2022 Van’t Hoff Award, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), The Netherlands
• since 2021 Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry, UK
• since 2021 Member, National Academy of Sciences, USA
• since 2020 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
• 2019 Award for Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering, International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)
• 2018 Irving Wender Award for Creative Research in Catalysis, Pittsburgh-Cleveland Catalysis Society (PCCS), Pittsburgh, USA
• since 2016 Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, USA
• 2016 Chemical Pioneer Award, American Institute of Chemists, USA
• since 2013 Member, National Academy of Engineering, USA
• 2009 Physical Organic Chemistry Award, Royal Society of Chemistry, UK
• 2007 Wolfson Research Merit Award, Royal Society, UK
• 2005 Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award, American Chemical Society, USA
• 2001 Paul H. Emmett Award in Fundamental Catalysis, North American Catalysis Society
• 1998 Max-Planck-Society Award for Outstanding Women Scientists, Max-Planck-Society, Munich, Germany
• 1985 Presidential Young Investigator Award, NSF, USA