Dept. of Chemistry & Biochemistry

18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, California 91330-8241

Phone: (818) 677-1200
Fax: (818) 677-4068M
E-mail: chemistry@csun.edu

Hours:
Mon-Fri: 8:00am-5:00pm

Contact the Department Webmaster

 


Henry I. Abrash

Henry I. Abrash

EMERITUS PROFESSOR

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
California State University, Northridge
Northridge, California, 91330-8262

telephone: (818) 677-3368
e-mail: henry.abrash@csun.edu
fax: (818) 677-4068

Office: Eucalyptus Hall (Science) 2308

Weekly Schedule

EDUCATION

  • B.A., Harvard University, 1956
  • Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, 1961

POSTDOCTORAL APPOINTMENT

  • University of Wisconsin

COURSES TAUGHT

  • Chemistry 101, General Chemistry I
  • Chemistry 235, Introductory Organic Chemistry
  • Chemistry 333, Principles of Organic Chemistry I
  • Chemistry 334, Principles of Organic Chemistry II
  • Chemistry 471, Chemical Literature, Information Retrieval and Presentation

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Organic Chemistry

   Professor Abrash's current research deals with the mechanism of air oxidation of polyphenols, in particular pyrogallol and its substituted analogs. The research planned for the future includes: the role of superoxide in the reaction mechanism; the catalytic effects of various metal ions; attempts to trap the intermediates; the effects of trapping reagents on the rates of the reaction; the structures of the polymeric products from pyrogallol.



REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS

  1. "A Kinetic Study of the Air Oxidation of Pyrogallol and Purpurogallin," Abrash, H. I., Shih, D., Elias, W. and Malekmehr, F., International Journal of Chemical Kinetics (1989) 21(6), 465.
  2. "Studies Concerning Affinity," Waage, P. and Guldberg, C. M., translation by Abrash, H., J. Chem. Ed. (1986) 63, 1044.
  3. Chemistry (Glencoe Publishing Co., Encino, CA, (1981), Abrash, H. I. and Hardcastle, K. I.