The objective of my research projects is to develop novel chiral diamine ligands and their application for transition metal catalyzed asymmetric reactions. Due to the high demand and preference for the use of enantiopure compounds in the fields of pharmaceuticals, perfumes, food additives, etc., there has been a great interest in catalytic asymmetric synthesis as a tool for their efficient preparation. However, it has been a big challenge to obtain optically active compounds with good yields and selectivities. In the first phase of these projects, we will build on the knowledge gained from our previous work and design, synthesize and characterize various chiral diamines. In the second phase, the ability of the resulting chiral diamines as ligands for transition metals Ru, Cu, and Ni catalyzed asymmetric reactions will be carried out using selected asymmetric reactions such as Michael reaction, asymmetric transfer hydrogenation, and tandem reactions. Also, the extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (EESI-MS) analysis will be carried out to elucidate the structural information about the reaction intermediates and the coordination chemistry of diamine ligand with transition metal in order to better understand their influence on the asymmetric controls and to assist in optimizing their structures to give more effective chiral diamines. The knowledge gained will provide fundamental insights to better understand the mechanism of asymmetric induction for a wide range of reactions.
1999—2004. Ph.D in Organic Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (SIOC), Chinese Academy of Sciences
1995—1999. B.S. in Organic Chemistry, Department of Chmistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
2012—Present. Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, TAMU-Commerce
2010 - 2012. Interim Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, TAMU-Commerce
2008—2010. Research Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University-Commerce
2005—2007. Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University-Commerce
2004—2005. Senior Scientist, Sundia (Shanghai) MedTech Company Ltd. Shanghai, P. R. China
American Chemical Society (ACS)
(1). I am currently serving as a reviewer for numerous journals, such as J. AM. Chem. Soc.; Org. Lett.; Chemical reviews; Adv. Synth. Catal.; Chem. Commun.; Synlett.; Tetrahedron; Tetrahedron Lett.; Lett. Org. Chem.; Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry, and Chirality.
(2). Serve as a review for nation-wide proposals
ACS-PRF
(3). Serve as Editorial Board of dataset papers in Chemistry since 2012
Prior Internal
1. "Chiral Pyrrolidine-Catalyzed Asymmetric Organic Reactions" Faculty Research Enhancement project, $8,000, 2009,9-2010,8External
1."Development and Study of Chiral Organocatalysts for Asymmetric reactions" National Science Foundation, $329,681, 2012,6-2015,5
Organocatalytic Direct Asymmetric Crossed-Aldol Reactions of Acetaldehyde in aqueous Media Yupu Qiao, Qiankun Chen, Silong Lin, Bukuo Ni,* and Allan D. Headley* J. Org. Chem. 2013 in press
Highly Active Water-Soluble and Recyclable Organocatalyst for the Asymmetric1,4-Conjugate Addition of Nitroalkanes to α,β-Unsaturated Aldehydes
Subrata K. Ghosh, Zilong Zheng, and Bukuo Ni* Adv. Synth. Catal. 2010, 352, 2378.
Chiral Imidazolium Ionic Liquids: their Synthesis and Influence on the Outcomes of Organic Reactions
Allan D. Headley* and Bukuo Ni Aldrichimica Acta 2007, Vol 40, No. 4 107.
Pyrrolidine-Based Chiral Pyridinium Ionic Liquids (ILs) as Recyclable and Highly Efficient Organocatalysts for the Asymmetric Michael Addition Reactions.
Bukuo Ni, Qianying Zhang, and Allan D. Headley* Submitted toGreen Chem.. 2007.
Functionalized Chiral Ionic Liquid as Recyclable Organocatalyst for Asymmetric Michael Addition to Nitrostyrenes.
Bukuo Ni, Qianying Zhang, and Allan D. Headley* Green Chem.2007, 9, 737.
Design and Synthesis of Fused-Ring Chiral Ionic Liquids from Amino acid Derivatives.
Bukuo Ni, Satish Garre, and Allan D. Headley* Tetrahedron Lett.2007, 48, 1999.
Highly Enantioselective Michael Addition of Ketones to Nitroolefins Catalyzed by (S)-Pyrrolidine Arenesulfonamide
Bukuo Ni, Qianying Zhang, and Allan D. Headley* Tetrahedron: Asymmetry 2007, 18, 1443.
Ionic Liquid, [bmim][N(SO2CF3)2], Resulted in the First Catalyst-Free Aminohalogenation of Electron-Deficient Alkenes.
Yi-Ning Wang, Bukuo Ni, Allan D. Headley* and Guigen Li* Adv. Synth. Catal. 2007, 349, 319.
Solvation Effects on Imidazolium Salts that Contain Alkyl Side Chains.
Allan D. Headley*, S. R. S. Saibabu Kotti# and Bukuo Ni,Heterocycles 2007, 71, 589.
Design and Synthesis of Novel Pyridinium Chiral Ionic Liquids Tethered to a Urea Functionality.
Bukuo Ni, Qianying Zhang, and Allan D. Headley* J. Org. Chem.2006, 71, 9857.
Novel Imidazolium Chiral Ionic Liquids that Contain a Urea Functionality.
Bukuo Ni and Allan D. Headley* Tetrahedron Letters, 2006, 47, 7331.
The Design and Synthesis of C-2 Substituted Chiral Imidazole-Based Ionic Liquids from Amino Acid Derivatives.
Bukuo Ni, Allan D. Headley*, and Guigen Li* J. Org. Chem. 2005,70, 10600.
Intramolecular double or triple Suzuki Coupling reaction of substituted di- or tribromobenzenes to afford fused tri- or tetracycles with a benzene core.
Shengming Ma*, Bukuo Ni, Shaohui Lin, and Zhiqiang Liang J. Organomet. Chem. 2005, 690, 5389.
Exclusive Formation of Bicyclic Quinolizidine Alkaloid Skeleton via Double RCM reaction of N-Alkynyl-N-(1, ω)-alkadienyl Propenamide.
Shengming Ma*, Bukuo Ni and Zhiqiang Liang J. Org.Chem. 2004,69, 6305.
Double RCM reaction of N-containing tetraenes. An efficient construction of bicyclic izidine alkaloid skeletons and the application to the synthesis of four stereoisomers of lupinine and their derivatives.
Shengming Ma* and Bukuo Ni Chem. Eur. J. 2004, 10, 3284.
Unexpected dramatic substituent effect for tuning the selectivity in the double ring-closing metathesis reaction of N-containing tetraenes. An efficient synthesis of bicyclic izidine alkaloid skeletons.
Shengming Ma* and >Bukuo Ni Org. Lett. 2002, 4, 639.
Intramolecular triple Heck reaction. An efficient entry to fused tetracycles with a benzene core.
Shengming Ma* and Bukuo Ni J. Org. Chem. 2002, 67, 8280.
Studes on the oxidative addition reaction of 1,1-dibromo-1-alkenes, a-dehalopalladation, and the intramolecular bis(carbopalladation) reaction of alkenes to afford fused bicycles.
Shengming Ma*, Bin Xu and Bukuo Ni J. Org. Chem. 2000, 65, 8532.