John Gladysz
  • Distinguished Professor
  • Dow Chair in Chemical Invention
Research Areas
  • Catalysis
  • Energy
  • Inorganic
  • Organic
  • Organometallic
  • Polymer
  • Supramolecular
  • Sustainability & Green
  • Synthesis

Research Interests

My research has traditionally been centered around organometallic chemistry, and from this core area branches into catalysis, organic synthesis, enantioselective reactions, stereochemistry, mechanism, and materials chemistry. About half of my group is involved with catalysis projects. Areas receiving emphasis include (a) structurally novel new families of highly enantioselective catalysts, (b) metal-containing "organocatalysts" and (c) recoverable catalysts, particularly those with "ponytails" of the formula (CH2)m(CF2)nF; these can be recycled via "fluorous" liquid or solid phases, such as Teflon. The other half of my group synthesizes organometallic building blocks for molecular devices. These include (a) molecular wires composed of metal endgroups and linear (sp) carbon chains, including stable species with C28 bridges, (b) analogs in which the charge-transmitting bridges are insulated by a pair of polymethylene or (CH2)n chains that adopt a double-helical conformation, (c) polygons and multistranded molecular wires based upon such building blocks, and (d) molecular gyroscopes and compasses consisting of a rotating MLn fragment and an external cage (stator) that insulates the rotator from neighboring molecules, exactly as with the commercial gyroscopes used for aircraft and space-station navigation.

Educational Background

  • B. S., 1971, University of Michigan
  • Ph. D., 1974, Stanford University

Awards & Honors

  • Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow 1980-1984

  • Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar 1980-1985

  • Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award (American Chemical Society) 1988

  • University of Utah Distinguished Research Award 1992

  • American Chemical Society Award in Organometallic Chemistry 1994

  • von Humboldt Foundation Research Award for Senior Scientists 1995-1996

  • Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science 2004

  • International Fluorous Technologies Award 2007

  • Fellow of the American Chemical Society (inaugural 2009 class) 2009

  • Editor-in-Chief of Organometallics 2010-2014

  • Texas A&M Distinguished Achievement Award in Research 2013

  • Royal Society of Chemistry Award in Organometallic Chemistry 2013

  • Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry 2014

  • Texas A&M Foundation Partner in Philanthropy Faculty Award 2017

Selected Publications

  • "Launching Werner Complexes into the Modern Era of Catalytic Enantioselective Organic Synthesis", Wegener, A. R.; Kabes, C. Q.; Gladysz, J. A. Acc. Chem. Res. 2020, 53, 2299-2313. DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.0c00410.

  • "Gyroscopes and the Chemical Literature, 2002-2020: Approaches to a Nascent Family of Molecular Devices", Ehnbom, A.; Gladysz, J. A. Chem. Rev. 2021, 121, 3701-3750. DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01001.

  • "Syntheses, Homeomorphic and Configurational Isomerizations, and Structures of Macrocyclic Aliphatic Dibrigehead Diphosphines: Molecules that Turn Themselves Inside Out", Zhu, Y.; Stollenz, M.; Zarcone, S. R.; Kharel, S.; Hemant, J.; Bhuvanesh, N.; Reibenspiess, J. H.; Gladysz, J. A. Chem. Sci. 2022, 13, 13368-13386. DOI: 10.1039/D2SC04 724A.

  • "Enantioselective Syntheses of Multiply Functionalized Six-membered Carbocycles from Nitroalkenes and Unsaturated ß-Ketoesters using Chiral Catalysts Derived from Cobalt(III) and 1,2-Diphenylethylenediamine", Wang, K.; Bhuvanesh, N.; Gladysz, J. A. Adv. Synth. Catal. 2023, 365, 4692-4700. DOI: 10.1002/adsc.202300972.
  • "Monodisperse Molecular Models for the sp Carbon Allotrope Carbyne; Syntheses, Structures, and Properties of Diplatinum Polyynediyl Complexes with PtC20Pt to PtC52Pt Linkages", Arora, A.; Dey Baksi, S.; Weisbach, N.; Amini, H. Bhuvanesh, N.; Gladysz, J. A. ACS Cent. Sci. 2023, 9, 2225-2240. DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c01090.