Greg Felton
Title: Assistant Professor
Analytical/Inorganic
Office: 203 Science and Engineering Building
Phone: (248)370-2349
E-mail: felton@oakland.edu
Education
B.Sc. Chemistry, University of Leicester/Colorado State University (2000)
Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin (2005)
Postdoctoral research, University of Arizona (2005-2006 and 2008-2009)
Postdoctoral research, Princeton University (2006-2008)
Research Interests
The need to replace fossil fuels with environmentally friendly sources is pressing. The continued use of fossil fuels is raising the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide, and hence contributing to global warming. Additionally, the finite nature of such fossil fuels poses long-term questions about the ability of the planet to power future population and quality of life increases. The Felton research group is interested in applications of inorganic and electroanalytical chemistry to alternative energy research. This interdisciplinary research program incorporates organic and inorganic synthesis with analytical research to probe solutions to society’s greatest challenge: Powering our future without poisoning it.
Our research is growing to encompass the following:
- Organometallic electrocatalysts for alternative energy applications:
- Hydrogen production
- Solar energy capture
- Chemical carbon dioxide remediation
- Shifting functional homogeneous electrocatalysts into a heterogeneous paradigm
- Electrochemical mechanistic analysis of organic and inorganic reactions
Publications
Dismukes, G.C.; Brimblecombe, R.; Felton, G. A. N.; Pryadun, R.S.; Sheats, J. E.; Spiccia, L.; Swiegers, G. F. “Development of Bioinspired Mn4O4-Cubane Water Oxidation Catalysts: Lessons from Photosynthesis” Acc. Chem. Res. 2009, ASAP (11/12/09), 10.1021/ar900249x
Harb, M. K.; Apfel, U-P.; Kübel, J.; Görls, H.; Felton, G. A. N.; Sakamoto,T.; Evans, D. H.; Glass, R. S.; Lichtenberger, D. L.; El-khateeb, M.; Weigand, W. “Preparation and Characterization of Diiron-dichalcogenolato Complexes Containing an Oxetane Ring: [FeFe]-Hydrogenase Models” Organometallics 2009, ASAP (11/11/09), 10.1021/om900675q
Felton, G. A. N.; Petro, B. J.; Glass, R. S.; Lichtenberger, D. L.; Evans, D. H. “One-to Two-Electron Reduction of an [FeFe]-Hydrogenase Active Site Mimic: The Critical Role of Fluxionality of the [2Fe2S] Core” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2009, 131(32), 11290–11291. 10.1021/ja904520x
Felton, G. A. N.; Mebi, C. A.; Petro, B. J.; Vannucci, A. K.; Glass, R. S.; Lichtenberger, D. L.; Evans, D. H. “Review of electrochemical studies of complexes containing the Fe2S2 core characteristic of [Fe-Fe]-hydrogenases including catalysis by these complexes of the reduction of acids to form dihydrogen” J. Organomet. Chem. 2009, 694, 2681-2699.10.1016/j.jorganchem.2009.03.017
Macías-Ruvalcaba, N. A.; Felton, G. A. N.; Evans, D. H. “Contrasting Behavior in the Reduction of 1,2-Acenaphthylenedione and 1,2-Aceanthrylenedione. Two types of Reversible Dimerization of Anion Radicals” J. Phys. Chem. C. 2009, 113, 338-345.10.1021/jp809667f
Felton, G. A. N.; Vannucci, A. K.; Okumura, N.; Lockett, T.; Glass, R. S.; Lichtenberger, D. L.; Evans, D. H. “Hydrogen Generation from Weak Acids: Electrochemical and Computational Studies in the [(h5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2]2 System” Organometallics2008, 27(18), 4671-4679. 10.1021/om800366h
Brimblecombe, R.; Dismukes, G. C.; Felton, G. A. N.; Spiccia, L.; Swiegers, G. F. “Chapter 11. Time-Dependent ("Mechanical") Non-Biological Catalysis: 1. A Fully-Functional Mimic of the Water-Oxidizing Center (WOC) in Photosystem II (PSII)” InMechanical Catalysis: Methods of Enzymatic, Homogeneous, and Heterogeneous Catalysis, John Wiley and Sons (New York), by Swiegers, G. F. 2008.
Felton, G. A. N. “Electrocatalytic reactions: Anion radical cyclobutanation reactions and electrogenerated base reactions”Tetrahedron Lett. 2008, 49, 884-887. 10.1016/j.tetlet.2007.11.171
Felton, G. A. N.; Vannucci, A. K.; Chen, J.; Moser, T.; Okumura, N.; Petro, B. J.; Zakai, U. I.; Evans, D. H.; Glass, R. S.; Lichtenberger, D. L. “Hydrogen Generation from Weak Acids: Electrochemical and Computational Studies of a Diiron Hydrogenase Mimic” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 12521-12530. 10.1021/ja073886g
Felton, G. A. N.; Glass, R. S.; Lichtenberger, D. L.; Evans, D. H. “Iron-only Hydrogenase Mimics. Thermodynamic Aspects of the Use of Electrochemistry to Evaluate Catalytic Efficiency for Hydrogen Generation” Inorg. Chem. 2006, 45(23), 9181-9184.Cover article 10.1021/ic060984e
Felton, G. A. N.; Bauld, N. L. “Efficient electrocatalytic addition reactions of allyl phenyl sulfone to electron deficient alkenes”Tetrahedron 2005, 61(14), 3515-3523. 10.1016/j.tet.2005.01.125
. Felton, G. A. N.; Bauld, N. L. “Efficient electrocatalytic intramolecular anion radical cyclobutanation reactions” Tetrahedron2004, 60(48), 10999-11010. 10.1016/j.tet.2004.08.088
Felton, G. A. N.; Bauld, N. L. “Dramatic effects of the electrolyte cation on the selectivity of electroreductive cycloaddition reactions of bis(enones)” Tetrahedron Lett. 2004, 45(46), 8465-8469. 10.1016/j.tetlet.2004.09.094
Felton, G. A. N.; Bauld, N.L. “Highly efficient, catalytic bis addition reactions of allyl phenyl sulfone to vinyl sulfones” Tetrahedron Lett. 2004, 45(25), 4841-4845. 10.1016/j.tetlet.2004.04.162
Yang, J.; Felton, G. A. N.; Bauld, N. L.; Krische, M. J. “Chemically induced anion radical cycloadditions: intramolecular cyclobutanation of bis(enones) via homogeneous electron transfer,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 1634-1635.10.1021/ja030543j