John A. Gladysz Explained

John A. Gladysz,^[1] an organometallic chemist, is a Distinguished Professor^[2] and holds the Dow Chair in Chemical Invention at Texas A&M University. Professor Gladysz is a native of the Kalamazoo, Michigan area. He obtained his B.S. degree from the University of Michigan (1971)^[3] and his Ph.D. degree from Stanford University (1974).^[4] He subsequently held faculty positions at UCLA (1974-1982) and the University of Utah (1982-1998). He then accepted the Chair of Organic Chemistry at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany.^[5] In 2008, he returned to North America as a distinguished professor and holder of the Dow Chair in Chemical Invention at Texas A&M University.^[6]

Early life

Gladysz was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on August 13, 1952, and grew up in the small community of Galesburg^[7] between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek.

Education

Gladysz completed four semesters at Western Michigan University. He then transferred to the University of Michigan, where during his first semester, he took honors organic chemistry from Prof. Daniel Longone. During the next semester, he began a research project involving cyclophanes.^[8] He then enrolled in or audited graduate courses and seminars. He continued research with Prof. Longone for two months after graduating (BS Chem) in April 1971,^[9] and then headed west to Stanford University, where he immediately joined the research group of Prof. E. E. van Tamelen^[10]

Prof. van Tamelen had a long-standing interest in nitrogen fixation, and Prof. Gladysz undertook two projects for his Ph.D. dissertation. One was directed at the mode of activation in nitrogenase, and entailed both molybdenum nitrogen complexes and iron/sulfur clusters;^{[11] [12]} the other involved organic transformations mediated by titanium(II).^[13] These projects introduced him to working with air-sensitive compounds. He was also greatly influenced by a course on organometallic chemistry taught by James P. Collman. There was an extensive flow of expertise and ideas between the groups of Prof. Collman, Prof. Henry Taube, and Prof. Eugene van Tamelen at Stanford, and this stimulating atmosphere played a major role in the development of Prof. Gladysz's future research on the organic/inorganic interface.^[14]

Professional career

When Gladysz began as an assistant professor at UCLA on July 1, 1974, he was, at least for the next six weeks, 21 years of age. This early start, coupled with the active program of seminar visitors at UCLA, allowed him to get to know many organic and inorganic chemists who began their careers shortly after the Second World War. Although he developed interests in metal atom chemistry and hydride reagents for organic synthesis, he made his early reputation in C₁ chemistry – specifically the chemistry of metal formyl (-CHO), hydroxymethyl (-CH₂OH), formaldehyde (H₂C=O), and methylidene (=CH₂) complexes, as well as related species that were rare at that time (and believed to be intermediates in catalytic CO/H₂ chemistry).^[15]

While at UCLA, Gladysz was named a fellow of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (1980)^{[16] [17]} and a recipient of Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Grant (1980).^[18] In July 1982, he relocated to the University of Utah, where his research expanded to include organometallic stereochemistry and applications in enantioselective organic synthesis. While there, he received an Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award (1988),^[19] the University of Utah Distinguished Research Award (1992),^[20] and a Humboldt Foundation Research Award for Senior Scientists (1995-1996).^[21] In conjunction with the latter, he spent six months at the University of Marburg, and then a final month at the Technical University of Munich.

In the course of the Humboldt sponsored sabbatical, Prof. Gladysz gave a seminar at the ETH Zurich. His hosts invited the seminar speaker scheduled for the next day, Prof. Janet Bluemel (Technical University of Munich), to the customary dinner (Nachsitzung). This introduction led to a variety of interactions during his subsequent stay in Munich. These in turn led to their marriage on December 28, 1997, in Salt Lake City.^[22] Prof. Gladysz subsequently assumed the Chair of Organic Chemistry at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, where he succeeded Paul von Rague Schleyer, on April 1, 1998; Prof. Bluemel assumed a professorship on the same day at the University of Heidelberg.^[23]

During his period in Germany, Gladysz was able to greatly expand his programs dealing with molecular wires and fluorous chemistry begun at Utah. István T. Horváth, then working at ExxonMobil’s Corporate Research Laboratories was a frequent collaborator on the latter project. Prof. Gladysz established a number of novel ring-closing metatheses in metal coordination spheres, the most interesting of which afforded a class of compounds that can be regarded as "molecular gyroscopes". Prof. Gladysz enjoyed all levels of the German and European scientific scenes and received the International Fluorous Technologies Award in 2007. However, he and Prof. Bluemel sought to optimize their personal and professional lives with appointments at the same University.^[24]

This goal was realized during 2007-2008 when Bluemel and Gladysz relocated to Texas A&M University. Prof. Gladysz was appointed as the Dow Chair in Chemical Invention and Distinguished Professor of Chemistry.^[25] He was furthermore elected as a Fellow of the American Chemical Society in the inaugural year, 2009,^[26] and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2013.^[27] Prof. Gladysz' research at Texas A&M has continued to prominently feature catalysis (phase transfer catalyst activation;^[28] Werner complexes as chiral hydrogen bond donor catalysts),^[29] and expanded into container molecules that "turn themselves inside out".^[30] He received the Texas A&M Distinguished Achievement Award in Research,^[31] and the Royal Society of Chemistry Award in Organometallic Chemistry,^[32] both in 2013.

In 2017, Prof. Gladysz and Prof. Bluemel were jointly awarded the Texas A&M Foundation Partners in Philanthropy Faculty Award.^[33] They live on the Crow's Nest Ranch,^[34] which consists of 140 acres (60 hectares) 4 miles east of College Station.

Research interests

Gladysz research centers around organometallic chemistry, and from this core branches into nanotechnology, stereochemistry, organic synthesis, enantioselective reactions, catalysis, mechanism, and materials chemistry. This work has been described in nearly 500 widely cited publications.^[35]

Professional services and consulting

From June 1984 through July 2010, he was an associate editor of Chemical Reviews^{[36] [37]} , where he and Editor-in-Chief Prof. Josef Michl introduced a number of innovative new features. He then succeeded Prof. Dietmar Seyferth as the editor in chief of Organometallics,^[38] a position he held until January 2015. As an author, Prof. Gladysz has published nearly 500 journal articles and book chapters with over 23,500 independent citations and an h-index of 80.^[39] These are augmented by nearly 100 Editorials, patents and patent applications, and book and meeting reviews.

Summary of consulting

• Gas Research Institute, Panel Member; New Directions, Chicago, Illinois, Basic Research on Coal Gasification,1979-1980
• G.D. Searle & Company, Consultant on Pharmaceutical Synthesis, Chicago, Illinois, High Pressure/Organometallic Methods,1980-1981
• Procter & Gamble Company, Consultant for Corporate Technology Cincinnati, Ohio, Division, Miami Valley Laboratory, 1983-1985
• Monsanto Corporation, Consultant for Polymer Products, Springfield Massachusetts Division, 1984-1986
• Union Camp Corporation, Consultant for Terpene Products, Princeton, New Jersey Division, 1988-1989
• Exxon Research & Engineering, Consultant for Corporate Research Annandale, New Jersey, Laboratories, 1993-1998^[40]
• Kimberly Clark Corporation, Consultant for New Technologies Roswell, Georgia Division, 1997-1998
• 3M Corporation, Consultant for Fluorocarbon Products, Minneapolis Minnesota Division, 1998-1999
• Rhodia (Rhône-Poulenc) Corporation, Consultant for Catalysis Division Lyon (Saint-Fons), France, 1999-2001
• Total/Fina/Elf, Consultant for Polyolefin Division, Paris, France Seneffe, Belgium, 2002-2005^[41]
• Edwards Nanoscience, Consultant for Oxidation Technologies Houston, Texas, 2009-2011
• Terrabon, Inc., Consultant for Biofuels Processing Bryan, Texas, 2011-2012

Summary of services

• Editor-in-chief, Organometallics, 2010-2014^{[42] [43]}
• Associate editor, Chemical Reviews, 1984-2010
• Co-PI, NSF Organometallic Workshop, 1991-1993
• Member, NIH Medicinal Chemistry (A) Study Section, 1995-1999
• Chair, Organometallic Chemistry Gordon Conference, 1996^[44]
• Advisory Board Member, Max Planck Institute for Coal Research Mülheim, Germany, 1999-2005^[45]
• Editorial Board Member, New Journal of Chemistry, (2001-2012)
• Editorial Board Member, ACS Catalysis, (2011-2013)
• Chair, Scientific Advisory Board, Berlin Posdam Cluster of Excellence Unifiying Concepts in Catalysis (Unicat), 2014-2017^[46]
• Scientific Advisory Board, Unifying Systems in Catalysis/Einstein Center of Catalysis (UniSysCat/EC²), 2019-2026^[47]
• Editorial Board Member, Journal of Organometallic Chemistry (2017-)

Awards and honors

Gladysz professional awards & honors are listed below:

• Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow, 1980-1984^[48]
• Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, 1980-1985^{[49] [50]}
• Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award, 1988^[51]
• University of Utah Distinguished Research Award, 1992^[52]
• American Chemical Society Award in Organometallic Chemistry, 1994^[53]
• Humboldt Foundation Research Award for Senior Scientists, 1995-1996^[54]
• Who's Who in the World, 2002^[55]
• Lady Davis Professorship, Technion - Israel Institut of Technology, 2003-2004
• Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2004
• International Fluorous Technologies Award, 2007
• Fellow of the American Chemical Society (inaugural 2009 class), 2009^[56]
• Texas A&M Distinguished Achievement Award in Research, 2013^[57]
• Royal Society of Chemistry Award in Organometallic Chemistry, 2013
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, 2014^[58]
• Texas A&M Foundation Partners in Philanthropy Faculty Award, 2017^[59]
• Texas A&M College of Science Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award, 2020^[60]

Named visiting professorships or lectureships

• Lady Davis Professorship, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, 2003-2004
• Tarrant Visiting Professorship, University of Florida, 2009^[61]
• Kuivila Lecturer, State University of New York, Albany, 2011
• J. Clarence Karcher Lecturer, University of Oklahoma, 2011
• Bachmann Memorial Lecturer, University of Michigan, 2013
• Hans B. Jonassen Lecturer, Tulane University, 2020^[62]

Selected publications

• Homeomorphic Isomerization as a Design Element in Container Molecules; Binding, Displacement, and Selective Transport of MCl₂ Species (M = Pt, Pd, Ni)", Kharel, S.; Jo-shi, H.; Bierschenk, S.; Stollenz, M.; Taher, D.; Bhuvanesh, N.; Gladysz, J. A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 2172-2175. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b12788.^[63]
• "Recycling and Delivery of Homogeneous Fluorous Rhodium Catalysts Using Poly(tetra-fluoroethylene); 'Catalyst-on-a-Tape'", Dinh, L. V.; Jurisch, M.; Fiedler, T.; Gladysz, J. A. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 2017, 5, 10875-10888. DOI: 10.1021/ acssuschemeng.7b02770.^[64]
• "Three-Fold Intramolecular Ring Closing Alkene Metatheses of Square Planar Complexes with cis Phosphorus Donor Ligands P(X(CH₂)mCH=CH₂)₃ (X = –, m = 5-10; X = O, m = 3-5): Syntheses, Structures, and Thermal Properties of Macrocyclic Dibridgehead Diphosphorus Complexes", Joshi, H.; Kharel, S.; Ehnbom, A.; Skopek, K.; Hess, G. D.; Fiedler, T.; Hampel, F.; Bhuvanesh, N.; Gladysz, J. A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 8463-8478. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b02846.^[65]
• "Launching Werner Complexes into the Modern Era of Catalytic Enantioselective Organic Synthesis", Wegener, Aaron R.; Kabes, Connor Q.; Gladysz, J. A. Acc. Chem. Res. 2020, 53, 2299-2313.^[66]
• "Gyroscopes and the Chemical Literature, 2002–2020: Approaches to a Nascent Family of Molecular Devices", Ehnbom A.; Gladysz, J. A. Chem. Rev 2021, DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01001^[67]

Notes and References

1. Web site: ORCID Reference Page . orchid.org . 2 November 2020.
2. Web site: University Distinguished Professors . Texas A&M University . 26 October 2020.
3. Web site: BS Diploma . Gladysz Research Group . 26 October 2020.
4. Web site: Ph.D Diploma . Gladysz Research Group . 26 October 2020.
5. Web site: Pferdeschwänze mit Gespür für Temperaturen.
6. Web site: Faculty Web Page.
7. Web site: Historical Museum . Galesburg Historical Museum . 22 October 2020.
8. A convenient synthesis of [3.3]paracyclophane ]. The Journal of Organic Chemistry . 1977 . 10.1021/jo00436a033 . 22 October 2020. Longone . D. T. . Kusefoglu . S. H. . Gladysz . J. A. . 42 . 16 . 2787–2788 .
9. Web site: Gladysz University Diploma . The Gladysz Research Group.
10. Web site: Eugene van Tamelen Publications . academic tree.org . 21 October 2020.
11. Biological and abiological nitrogen fixation . Journal of the American Chemical Society . May 1974. 96. 9. 3020–3021. 10.1021/ja00816a074. 22 October 2020. Van Tamelen. E. E.. Gladvsz. J. A.. Brulet. C. R..
12. Nonenzymic nitrogen fixation . Journal of the American Chemical Society . 1973 . 10.1021/ja00785a063 . 4687688 . 22 October 2020. Van Temelen . E. E. . Gladysz . J. A. . Miller . J. S. . 95 . 4 . 1347–8 .
13. Direct conversion of aldehydes . Journal of the American Chemical Society . August 1974 . 96 . 16 . 5290–5291 . 10.1021/ja00823a065 . 22 October 2020. Van Tamelen . E. E. . Gladysz . J. A. .
14. Book Review: Principles and Applications of Organotransition Metal Chemistry . Wiley Online Library . 1988 . 27 . 7 . 984–985 . 10.1002/anie.198809841 . 5 November 2020. Werner . Helmut .
15. Electrophile-induced disproportionation of the neutral formyl . Journal of the American Chemical Society . August 1979 . 101 . 18 . 5440–5442 . 10.1021/ja00512a069 . 2 November 2020. Wong . Wai-Kwok . Tam . Wilson . Gladysz . J. A. .
16. Web site: Past Fellows . Alfred P. Sloan Foundation . 5 November 2020 . 14 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180314000756/https://sloan.org/past-fellows . dead .
17. Web site: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation . sloan.org . 21 October 2020.
18. Web site: Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards Program . Dreyfus.org . 5 November 2020.
19. Web site: Arthur C. Cope Scholar Awards . ACS Chemistry for Life . 21 October 2020.
20. Web site: Distinguished Scholary & Creative Research Award Recipients . The University of UTAH . 21 October 2020.
21. Web site: Humboldt Foundation Recipient . ACS.org . 5 November 2020.
22. Web site: Marriage Certificate . Gladysz Group TAMU . 5 November 2020.
23. Web site: Project D1 . uni-heidelberg.de . 21 October 2020.
24. Web site: Research Active Faculty . Texas A&M University . 5 November 2020.
25. Web site: Faculty Web Page . Texas A&M University . 5 November 2020.
26. Web site: Five Texas A&M Chemists Named to Inaugural Class of ACS Fellows . science.tamu.edu . 29 July 2009 . 21 October 2020.
27. Royal Society of Chemistry Awards 2013 . Angewandte Chemie International Edition . 2013 . 52 . 41 . 10690–10691 . 10.1002/anie.201305988 . 21 October 2020.
28. Phase Transfer Activation of Fluorous Analogs of Grubbs' Second-Generation Catalyst: Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization . ACS Catalysis . 2012 . 10.1021/cs200487j . 5 November 2020. Tuba . Robert . Corrêa Da Costa . Rosenildo . Bazzi . Hassan S. . Gladysz . John A. . 2 . 155–162 .
29. Launching Werner Complexes into the Modern Era of Catalytic Enantioselective Organic Synthesis . Accounts of Chemical Research . 2020 . 10.1021/acs.accounts.0c00410 . 5 November 2020. Wegener . Aaron R. . Kabes . Connor Q. . Gladysz . John A. . 53 . 10 . 2299–2313 . 32886471 . 221502289 .
30. Homeomorphic Isomerization as a Design Element in Container Molecules; Binding, Displacement, and Selective Transport of MCl2 Species (M = Pt, Pd, Ni) . Journal of the American Chemical Society . 2017 . 10.1021/jacs.6b12788 . Kharel . Sugam . Joshi . Hemant . Bierschenk . Stephen . Stollenz . Michael . Taher . Deeb . Bhuvanesh . Nattamai . Gladysz . John A. . 139 . 6 . 2172–2175 . 28075127 . free .
31. Web site: Recipients of The Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Awards University Level . Texas A&M DOF . 5 November 2020.
32. Web site: Organometallic Award Winner 2013 . RSC . 5 November 2020.
33. Web site: PARTNER IN PHILANTHROPY AWARD . Texas A&M Foundation . 5 November 2020.
34. Web site: Ranch Map.
35. Web site: ORCID Reference Page . John A. Gladysz . 5 November 2020.
36. Web site: New Editor For Organometallics . C&EN . 5 November 2020.
37. 10.1021/cen-v088n018.p009a. PUBLISHING Texas A&M's John Gladysz succeeds founding editor. 2010. Rovner. Sophie. Chemical & Engineering News. 88. 18. 9.
38. PUBLISHING Texas A&M's John Gladysz succeeds founding editor . Chemical & Engineering News . 2010 . 10.1021/cen-v088n018.p009a . 5 November 2020. Rovner . Sophie . 88 . 18 . 9 .
39. Web site: John A. Gladysz . Google Scholar . 21 October 2020.
40. Are Teflon "Ponytails" . Science . 7 October 1994 . 266 . 5182 . 55–56 . 10.1126/science.266.5182.55 . 22 October 2020. Gladysz . J. A. .
41. New C1-Symmetric Ph2C-Bridged . Organometallics . 8 November 2010 . 29 . 21 . 5073–5082 . 10.1021/om100289y . 22 October 2020. Kirillov . Evgeny . Marquet . Nicolas . Razavi . Abbas . Belia . Vincenzo . Hampel . Frank . Roisnel . Thierry . Gladysz . John A. . Carpentier . Jean-François .
42. PUBLISHING Texas A&M's John Gladysz succeeds founding editor . Chemical & Engineering News . 2010 . 10.1021/cen-v088n018.p009a . 5 November 2020. Rovner . Sophie . 88 . 18 . 9 .
43. Web site: New Editor for Organometallics . cen.acs.org . 21 October 2020.
44. Web site: Organometallic Chemistry Gordon Research Conference . grc.org . 22 October 2020.
45. Web site: Max-Planck-Institut fur Kohlenforschung . Kofo . 21 October 2020.
46. Web site: Scientific Advisory Board . unicat . 21 October 2020.
47. Web site: Scientific Advisory Board . unisyscat . 21 October 2020.
48. Web site: Past Fellows . Alfred P. Sloan Foundation . 5 November 2020 . 14 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180314000756/https://sloan.org/past-fellows . dead .
49. Web site: Camille Dresyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards Program . dreyfus.org . 27 October 2020 . 5 November 2020.
50. Web site: Organometallic Award 2013 Winner . RSC . 5 November 2020.
51. Web site: Arthur C. Cope Scholar Awards . ACS Chemistry for Life . 21 October 2020.
52. Web site: Distinguished Scholarly & Creatice Research Award Recipients . The university of UTAH . 21 October 2020.
53. Web site: ACS Award in Organometalli Chemistry . ACS Chemistry for Life . 21 October 2020.
54. Web site: Humboldt Research Award Recipient . acs.org . 5 November 2020.
55. Web site: Who's who lifetime achievement . Lifetime Achievement . 13 February 2018 . 21 October 2020.
56. Web site: Five Texas A&M Chemists Named to Inaugural Class of ACS Fellows . Texas A&M University Science . 29 July 2009 . 5 November 2020.
57. Web site: Distinguished Achievement Awards . dof.tamu.edu . 5 November 2020.
58. Royal Society of Chemistry Awards 2013 . Angewandte Chemie International Edition . 2013 . 52 . 41 . 10690–10691 . 10.1002/anie.201305988 . 5 November 2020.
59. Web site: TEXAS A&M FOUNDATION NAMES THREE RECIPIENTS OF PARTNER IN PHILANTHROPY FACULTY AWARD . txamfoundation . 21 October 2020.
60. Web site: Gladysz . John . College of Science Honors 2020 Award Winners . TAMU Science . 29 July 2021.
61. Web site: Tarrant Award . Chemistry Liberal Arts and Sciences.
62. Web site: Jonassen LEctures . Tulane University . February 2019 . 21 October 2020.
63. Homeomorphic Isomerization . Journal of the American Chemical Society . 2017 . 10.1021/jacs.6b12788 . 28075127 . Kharel . S. . Joshi . H. . Bierschenk . S. . Stollenz . M. . Taher . D. . Bhuvanesh . N. . Gladysz . J. A. . 139 . 6 . 2172–2175 . free .
64. Recycling and Delivery of Hemegeneous Fluorous Rhodium . ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering . 6 November 2017 . 5 . 11 . 10875–10888 . 10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b02770 . 21 October 2020. Dinh . Long V. . Jurisch . Markus . Fiedler . Tobias . Gladysz . John A. .
65. Three-Fold Intramolecular Ring Closing Alkene . Journal of the American Chemical Society . 2018 . 29708746 . 21 October 2020. Joshi . H. . Kharel . S. . Ehnbom . A. . Skopek . K. . Hess . G. D. . Fiedler . T. . Hampel . F. . Bhuvanesh . N. . Gladysz . J. A. . 140 . 27 . 8463–8478 . 10.1021/jacs.8b02846 .
66. Launching Werner Complexes into the Modern Era of Catalytic Enantioselective Organic Synthesis . Accounts of Chemical Research . 2020 . ACSPublications . 10.1021/acs.accounts.0c00410 . 11 March 2021. Wegener . Aaron R. . Kabes . Connor Q. . Gladysz . John A. . 53 . 10 . 2299–2313 . 32886471 . 221502289 .
67. Gyroscopes and the Chemical Literature, 2002−2020: Approaches to a Nascent Family of Molecular Devices . Chemical Reviews . 2021 . Chem. Rev. . 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01001 . 11 March 2021. Ehnbom . Andreas . Gladysz . John A. . 121 . 7 . 3701–3750 . 33635066 . 232059071 .