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

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Eric P. Kelson

Eric P. Kelson

PROFESSOR

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

telephone: (818) 677-2699
e-mail: eric.kelson@csun.edu
fax: (818) 677-4068

Office: Science 3315

Weekly Schedule



EDUCATION

  • B.S., University of Utah, 1988
  • Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, 1993

POSTDOCTORAL APPOINTMENT

  • NIH Postdoctoral Research Associate, Princeton University, 1993-95

COURSES TAUGHT

  • Chemistry 101, General Chemistry I
  • Chemistry 102, General Chemistry II
  • Chemistry 102L, General Chemistry II Laboratory
  • Chemistry 110, Chemistry In Action (General Education)
  • Chemistry 401, Inorganic Chemistry
  • Chemistry 401L, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory
  • Chemistry 502, Advanced Inorganic Chemistry

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Inorganic Chemistry

The research underway in the Kelson laboratories is focused on the development of bifunctional catalysts for hydrogen extraction from alcohols and hydrocarbon functionalization. These catalysts have potential applications ranging from the environmentally friendly synthesis of pharmaceuticals to the development of fuel cells that harvest electrical energy directly from alcohols. As part of this work, the Kelson group has developed a new family of ruthenium and rhodium catalysts (including 1 and 2) for the transfer of hydrogen from 2-propanol to ketones. These catalysts are unique in their tolerance of oxygen and their independence of basic co-catalysts. These designs are being extended to incorporate chirality, and this catalytic activity is being probed mechanistically. The Kelson group is also investigating the application of transfer hydrogenation catalysts for chlorocarbon dehalogenation (an important reaction for chemical hygene and soil remediation), the transfer of hydride from metal complexes to bulk platinum and palladium electrodes (a critical step toward the application of transfer hydrogenation catalysts in fuel cells), and the electrostatic stabilization of high oxidation states of metal-oxo complexes (a new strategy for greater efficiency and selectivity in catalytic hydrocarbon hydroxylation).



REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS

  1. "FTIR Spectroscopy of Flavones in Argon and Methanol: Argon Matrices at 10K. Reexamination of the Carbonyl Stretch Frequency of 3-Hydroxyflavone," Petroski, J. M., Valente, C. D. S., Kelson, E. P., Collins, S. J. Phys. Chem. A (2002) 106, 11714-11718.

  2. "Synthesis and Structure of a Ruthenium(II) Complex Incorporating kN Bound 2-Pyridonato Ligands; A New Catalytic System for Transfer Hydrogenation of Ketones," Kelson, E. P., Phengsy, P. P. J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans. (2000), 4023-4024.

  3. "Chloro(2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde)(2,2':6',2"-terpyridine)ruthenium(II) Perchlorate, Chloro(2-pyridinecarboxylic acid) (2,2':6',2"-terpyridine)ruthenium(II) Perchlorate, Chloroform, Hydrate (1.8/0.2/1/1)," Kelson, E. P., Phengsy, P. P., Arif, A. M. Acta. Cryst. C (2001) C57, 517-519.

  4. "Kinetic Study of 2-Propanol and Benzyl Alcohol Oxidation by Alkane Hexacyanoferrate(III) Catalyzed by a Terpyridiyl Ruthenium Complex," Kelson, E. P., Phensy, P. P. Int. J. Chem. Kinet. (2000) 32(12), 760-770.

  5. "Electrocatalytic Oxidation by Binuclear Ruthenium Complexes Incorporating the Anionic Tripod Ligand {( 5-C5H5)Co[(CH3O)2P=O]3}-," Kelson, E.P., Henling, L.M., Schaefer, W.P., Labinger, J.A., Bercaw, J.E. Inorg. Chem. (1993) 32(13), 2863-73.

M. S. THESES

  • Ruthenium Based Catalysts for Base Assisted Alcohol Oxidation Reactions (2001) Phengsy, P. P.