Keary Engle, PhD
Dean of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies
Department of Chemistry
Professor
Research Focus
Organic small molecules make up the vast majority of medicines, biological probes, agrochemicals, and materials building blocks. Thus, though they are ubiquitous in modern society, many classes of small molecules remain problematic to prepare using conventional methods. Contemporary synthetic routes routinely require multiple steps, generate large quantities of waste, or require substantial human energy to troubleshoot. Research in the Engle group focuses on addressing these challenges by harnessing the power of catalysis. Our group's goal is to advance the efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of chemical synthesis. The projects that we tackle are highly interdisciplinary, and as a consequence, students complement their core training in synthetic organic, physical organic, and organometallic chemistry with expertise in related disciplines in and outside of chemistry.
Select Publications
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He, Wen-J J.; Fang, Shili; Yang, Shenghua; Kim, Nana; Lu, Zhipeng; Rubel, Camille Z.; Bailey, Jake; Gembicky, Milan; Lin, Song; Wisniewski, Steven R.; Engle, Keary M. Ni(DQ): A Useful Gateway to Zero-Valent Nickel Complexes. 2026, 45, 385-390.
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Ravn, Anne K.; Bangerter, Aimee L.; Wagner, Ethan M.; Li, Shijia; Rubel, Camille Z.; Wisniewski, Steven R.; Liu, Peng; Gutekunst, Will R.; Engle, Keary M. -Alkyl-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane Reagents Promote Closed-Shell Nickel-Catalyzed Alkylarylation Toward Encoded Cyclooctene Monomers. 2026, 12, 324-332.
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Liu, Zhen; Wang, Y.; Wang, Z.; Zeng, T.; Liu, P.; Engle, Keary M. Catalytic intermolecular carboamination of unactivated alkenes via directed aminopalladation. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2017, 139, 11261-11270.
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Derosa, Joseph; Tran, Van T.; Boulous, M. N.; Chen, Jason S.; Engle, Keary M. Nickel-catalyzed ß,?-dicarbofunctionalization of alkenyl carbonyl compounds via conjunctive cross-coupling. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2017, 139, 10657-10660.
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Ni, Hui-qi; Engle, Keary M.; Cooper, Phillippa Recent advances in palladium-catalyzed (hetero)annulation of C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bonds with ambiphilic organo(pseudo)halides.. Chemical communications (Cambridge, England) 2021, 7610-7624.
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Derosa, Joseph; Cantu, A. L.; Boulous, M. N.; O'Duill, M. L.; Turnbull, J. L.; Liu, Zhen; De La Torre, D. M.; Engle, Keary M. Palladium(II)-catalyzed directed anti-hydrochlorination of unactivated alkynes with HCl. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2017, 139, 5183-5193.
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