Dr. Todd Hudnall

Professor

Dr. Todd Hudnall

Office: CHEM 313

Phone: (512) 245-4443

Fax: (512) 245-2374

Email: th40@txstate.edu

Educational Background

B.S., Chemistry, Texas State University - San Marcos (San Marcos, TX) 2004
Ph.D., Organometallic Chemistry, Texas A&M University (College Station, TX) 2008
Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX) 2008-2010

Honors and Awards

Cottrell Scholar (Class of 2011) - Designated in 2016
NSF CAREER Award 2016
Presidential Distinction Award for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activity - 2012, 2013, 2015
Research Corporation for Science Advancement, Cottrell College Single Investigator Award - 2011
American Chemical Society Division of Inorganic Chemistry, Young Investigator Award Nominee - 2009
Association of Former Students Award for Excellence in Doctoral Research - Texas A&M - 2008

Areas of Interest

Main Group Organometallic Chemistry

Related Web Sites

Hudnall Research Group Webpage

Research in the Hudnall Group

Our research is concerned with the chemistry of both organic and organometallic polyfunctional ambiphilic molecules. We are a group of synthetic organometallic chemists, whose ultimate goals are to harness and utilize the cooperative effects in these molecules for the discovery of novel bonding interactions, reactivity toward small molecules and catalysis. In particular, our research is interested in the activation small molecules of industrial and biological importance (i.e., H₂, N₂, CH₄, and CO₂). Our current efforts are focused on using carbonyl-decorated carbenes which are electron deficient to stabilize reactive allotropes and radicals of phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, and boron.

Synthesis: At the heart of our research program lie the syntheses of organic and organometallic complexes. Our synthesis requires the manipulation of oxygen/moisture sensitive reagents, and therefore our preparation techniques include the use of glove boxes and Schlenk lines to carry out air-free synthesis. Ultimately we strive to develop high-yielding synthetic routes to the desired compounds.

Stabilization of Reactive Main Group Allotropes, Alloys and Radicals: We are currently investigating the potential of electron-deficient carbenes to stabilize main group elements, specifically P, As, Sb, or B, in low-coordinate and low-oxidation state bonding situations. We ultimately strive to develop novel allotropes and even alloys of these elements. Additionally, we are exploring the ability to oxidize or reduce these species to afford carbene-stabilized main group radicals. Such materials and complexes should appeal to a broad spectrum of chemists ranging from those interested in materials science, molecular recognition, storage of gases, and catalysis.

Students who carry out their research in the Hudnall group will learn a variety of synthetic and analytical techniques including the manipulation of highly sensitive compounds, multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and density functional theory (DFT) analyses.

Hudnall-Page

Recent Publications

Ledet, A. D. and Hudnall, T. W.* Reduction of a Diamidocarbene-Supported Borenium Cation: Isolation of a Neutral Boryl-Substituted Radical and a Carbene-Stabilized Aminoborylene Dalton Trans. 2016, Accepted Article (invited manuscript for the 2016 themed issue – New Talent: Americas). Link to Article

Hudnall, T. W.*; Dorsey, C. L.; Jones, J. S.; Gabbaï, F. P.* Stepwise Reduction of an α-Phosphonio-Carbocation to a Crystalline Phosphorus Radical Cation and an Acridinyl-Phosphorus Ylide Chem – Eur. J. 2016, Accepted Article. Link to Article Featured on Frontispiece

Deardorff, C. L.; Sikma, R. E.; Rhodes, C. P.; Hudnall, T. W.* Carbene-derived α-acyl formamidinium cations: organic molecules with readily tunable multiple redox processes Chem. Commun. 2015, Accepted Article (invited manuscript for the 2016 Emerging Investigators special issue). Link to Article

Dorsey, C. L.; Mushinski, R. M.; Hudnall, T. W.* Metal-Free Stabilization of Monomeric Antimony(I): A Carbene-Supported Stibinidene. Chem. – Eur. J. 2014, 20, 8914-8917. Link to Article

Rodrigues, R. R.; Dorsey, C. L.; Arceneaux, C. A.; Hudnall T. W.* Phosphaalkene vs. Phosphinidene: The Nature of the P–C Bond in Carbonyl-Decorated Carbene→PPh Adducts. Chem. Commun. 2014, 50, 162-164. Link to article Featured on back cover

Dorsey, C. L.; Squires, B. M.; Hudnall, T. W.* Isolation of a Neutral P8 Cluster via [2+2] Cycloaddition of a Diphosphene Facilitated by Carbene Activation of White Phosphorus. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013, 52, 4462–4465. With VIP distinction and inside front cover. Link to article Featured on inside front cover

Mushinski, R. M.; Squires, B. M.; Sincerbox, K. A.; Hudnall, T. W.* Amino-Acrylamido Carbenes: Modulating Carbene Reactivity via Decoration with an α,β-unsaturated Carbonyl Moiety. Organometallics 2012, 31, 4862-7870. Link to article