Organic Chemistry

The study of structure, properties, and reactions of carbon-based molecules and materials. Applications are diverse and address a wide range of topics including synthetic methodology, natural products, drug discovery, biomaterials, polymers, organocatalysis, and electrosynthesis.

Areas of Focus

Total synthesis • Catalysis • Physical organic chemistry • Electrosynthesis • Computation • Drug discovery • Drug delivery • Polymers • Materials • Nanotechnology

Affiliated Faculty

Jonathan Barnes
Synthetic organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, stimuli-responsive materials, bionanotechnology

Vladimir Birman
Asymmetric catalysis, organocatalysis, tandem transformations, rational design, synthetic methodology, total synthesis

John Bleeke
Organometallic chemistry, pentadienyl- and heteropentadienyl-metal complexes, metallabenzenes and other aromatic metallacycles

Michael Gross
Biological and biophysical chemistry, mass spectrometry, structural proteomics,protein footprinting, FPOP, HDX, native MS, crosslinking, ion mobility

Kevin Moeller
Synthetic organic chemistry, electrochemistry, addressable molecular libraries, new chemical probes for mapping biological receptors

John Taylor
Bioorganic chemistry

Tim Wencewicz
Antibiotic drug discovery, new therapeutic strategies to combat antibiotic resistance, natural product biosynthesis, synthetic organic chemistry, mechanism-based enzyme inhibitors, structural and mechanistic basis of enzyme reactions, chemoenzymatic synthesis of value chemicals, green chemistry, targeted drug delivery, membrane transport paradigms for siderophore-mediated iron acquisition in bacteria

see also:

Nate Colley

On my first visit to WashU, I was immediately impressed by the state-of-the-art facilities that were available to the Department of Chemistry. These facilities have helped make it possible to develop a research collaboration with Oak Ridge National Lab. Additionally, I found that the small to medium research group sizes have allowed me to quickly build positive relationships with my advisor and peers.

―Nate ColleyPhD Candidate, J. Barnes Lab