Assistant Professor of Chemistry
About
Research Synopsis
Researchers in the Buss group will use the tools of synthetic inorganic and organometallic chemistry to prepare and study complex molecular systems capable of providing structural and mechanistic insight in the broader context of catalysis. A particular focus involves gaining an understanding of how multimetallic constructs can react in synchrony to facilitate multi-electron redox processes and activate recalcitrant small molecule substrates. From the fundamentals of coordination chemistry to detailed mechanistic studies, our work—inspired by the remarkable activity of many heterogeneous materials and biological systems—aims to answer questions relevant to the bond breaking/making processes foundational to our energy landscape.
Representative Publications from Postdoctoral and Graduate Work
1. Joshua A. Buss, Aristidis Vasilopoulos, Dung L. Golden, and Shannon S. Stahl “Copper-Catalyzed Functionalization of Benzylic C–H Bonds with N-Fluorobenzenesulfonimide: Switch from C–N to C–F Bond Formation Promoted by a Redox Buffer and Brønsted Base” Org. Lett. 2020, Article ASAP. DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.0c02239.
2. Joshua A. Buss, Gwendolyn A. Bailey, Jules Oppenheimer, David G. VanderVelde, William A. Goddard III, and Theodor Agapie, “CO Coupling Chemistry of a Terminal Mo Carbide: Sequential Addition of Proton, Hydride, and CO Releases Ethenone” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 15664.
3. Joshua A. Buss, Paul H. Oyala, and Theodor Agapie, “Terminal Molybdenum Phosphides with d-Electrons: Radical Character Promotes Coupling Chemistry” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 14502.
4. Joshua A. Buss and Theodor Agapie, “Four-Electron Deoxygenative Reductive Coupling of Carbon Monoxide at a Single Metal Site” Nature, 2016, 529, 72.
Select Awards & Fellowships
1. (2018 – 2020) Ruth L. Kirschstein NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Wisconsin, Madison
2. (2019) Division of Inorganic Chemistry Young Investigator Award, American Chemical Society
3. (2018) Herbert Newby McCoy Award, California Institute of Technology
4. (2014 – 2017) National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, California Institute of Technology
