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Jason Keith
Associate Professor of Chemistry; Chair, Department of Chemistry
Department/Office Information
Chemistry- MW 3:00pm - 4:00pm (308 Wynn Hall)
- T 1:00pm - 3:00pm (308 Wynn Hall)
- F 10:00am - 11:00am (308 Wynn Hall)
I was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1978 and moved to the small town of Weatherford, Texas with my parents and older brother when I was eight years old. I graduated from Weatherford High School in 1997. Upon graduation I went on to the University of North Texas where I pursued degrees in Chemistry and Mathematics. I graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2001. In the fall of that same year I began my graduate work at the California Institute of Technology and received my PhD in Chemistry in 2008. While there I was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. From 2008 to 2010 I was a postdoctoral fellow with Michael B. Hall in the Chemistry Department at Texas A&M University. In 2010 I moved to the mountains of northern New Mexico were I was a Director’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the Theoretical Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory until 2013. In the summer of 2013 I left the mountains that I had come to love and a life sharing a border with Mexico to move northeast to central New York and a new understanding of winter.
I am currently an Associate Professor of Chemistry here at °Ä²Ê¿ª½± having received tenure in Spring 2020. My research here is based on the application of Density Functional Theory to various projects involving electronic structure, spectroscopy and mechanism. My primary research efforts focus on transition metal systems although I have soft spot for f-block elements from my time at LANL and have also on occasion worked with main group and organic systems. While my research frequently focuses on fundamental concepts such as bonding, applied projects in my group are more commonplace and are often related to clean energy and the environment. I have publications in the areas of fuel cells, biofuels, nuclear energy, as well as environmental cleanup. I currently collaborate with many experimental chemists both here at °Ä²Ê¿ª½± and elsewhere.
Education
BS - Chemistry, BS - Mathematics, University of North Texas, 2001
PhD - Chemistry, California Institute of Technology, 2008
Dissertation
Palladium Mediated Activation of Molecular Oxygen
Distinctions
2010 Los Alamos National Laboratory Director's Postdoctoral Fellowship
2001 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
1999 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship
Science Media Coverage
°Ä²Ê¿ª½± Highlights
°Ä²Ê¿ª½± News: Professor Jason Keith, co-authors’ report may eventually help cut nuclear waste°Ä²Ê¿ª½± News: Chemistry professor Jason Keith’s work published in prestigious journal
Publications
(°Ä²Ê¿ª½± authors indicated in bold)
- Spielvogel, K. D.; Stumme, N. C.; Fetrow, T. V.; Wang, L.; Luna, J. A.; Keith, J. M.*; Shaw, S. K.*; Daly, S. R.*; “Quantifying Variations in Metal–Ligand Cooperative Binding Strength with Cyclic Voltammetry and Redox–Active ³¢¾±²µ²¹²Ô»å²õ†Inorg. Chem., 2022, 61, 2391.
- Pham, J.; Jarczyk, C. E.; Reynolds, E. F.; Kelly, S. E.; Kim, T.; He, T.; Keith, J. M.*; Chianese, A. R.* “The Key Role of the Latent N-H Group in Milstein's Catalyst for Ester Hydrogenation†Chem. Sci., 2021, 12, 8477.
- Spielvogel, K. D.; Luna, J. A.; Loria, S. M.; Weisburn, L. P.; Stumme, N. C.; Ringenberg, M. R.; Durgaprasad, G.; Keith, J. M.*; Shaw, S. K.*; Daly, S. R.*; “Influence of Multisite Metal-Ligand Coopertivity on the Redox Activity of Noninnocent N2S2 ³¢¾±²µ²¹²Ô»å²õ†Inorg. Chem., 2020, 59, 10845.
- Smiles, D. E.; Batista, E. R.*; Booth, C. H.; Clark, D. L.; Keith, J. M.; Kozimor, S. A.; Martin, R. L.; Minasian, S. G.*; Shuh, D. K.; Stieber, C. E.*; Tyliszczak, T. “Unexpected CNN-to-CC Ligand Rearrangement in Pincer-Ruthenium Precatalysts Leads to a Base-Free Catalyst for Ester Hyderogenation†Chem. Sci., 2020, 11, 2796.
- He, T.; Buttner, J. C.; Reynolds, E. F.; Pham, J.; Malek, J. C.; Keith, J. M.*; Chianese, A. R.* “Dehydroalkylative Activation of CNN- and PNN-Pincer Ruthenium Catalysts for Ester Hydrogenation†J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2019, 141, 17404.
- Le, L.; Liu, J.; He, T.; Malek, J. C.; Cervarich, T. N.; Buttner, J. C.; Pham, J.; Keith, J. M.*; Chianese, A. R.* “Unexpected CNN-to-CC Ligand Rearrangement in Pincer-Ruthenium Precatalysts Leads to a Base-Free Catalyst for Ester Hyderogenation†Organometallics, 2019, 38, 3311.
- Lee, K.; Blake, A. V.; Tanushi, A.; McCarthy, S. M.; Kim, D.; Loria, S. M.; Donahue, C. M.; Spielvolgel, K. D.; Keith, J. M.*; Daly, S. R.*; Radosevich, A. T.* “Validating the Biphilic Hypothesis of Nontrigonal P(III) Compounds†Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 6993.
- Su, J.; Batista, E. R.*; Boland, K. S.; Bone, S. E.; Bradley, J. A.; Cary, S. K.; Clark, D. L.*; Conradson, S. D.; Ditter, A. S.; Kaltsoyannis, N.; Keith, J. M.; Kerridge, A.; Kozimor, S. A.*; Löble, M. W.; Martin, R. L.; Minasian, S. G.; Mocko, V.; La Pierre, H. S.; Seidler, G. T.; Shuh, D. K.; Wilkerson, M. P.; Wolfsberg, L. E.; Yang, P.* “Energy-Degeneracy-Driven Covalency in Actinide Bonding†J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2018, 140, 17977.
- Reilly, S. D.; Su, J.; Keith, J. M.; Yang, P.; Batista, E. R.*; Gaunt, A. J.*; Harwood, L. M.*; Hudson, M. J.; Lewis, F. W.; Scott, B. L.; Sharrad, C. A.*; Whittaker, D. M. “Plutonium Coordination and Redox Chemistry with the CyMe4-BTPhen Polydentate N-donor Extractant Ligand†Chem. Commun., 2018, 54, 12582.
- Lee, K.; Wei, H.; Blake, A. V.; Donahue, C. M.; Keith, J. M.*; Daly, S. R.* “Measurement of Diphosphine -Donor and -Acceptor Properties in d0 Titanium Complexes Using Ligand K-Edge XAS and TDDFT†Inorg. Chem., 2018, 57, 10277.
- Blake, A. V.; Wei, H.; Lee, K.; Donahue, C. M.; Keith, J. M.*; Daly, S. R.* “Solution and Solid Ligand K-Edge XAS Studies of PdCl2 Diphosphine Complexes with Phenyl and Cyclohexyl Substituents†(Invited issue) Eur. J. Inorg. Chem., 2018, 21-22, 2267.
- Blake, A. V.; Wei, H.; Donahue, C. M.; Lee, K.; Keith, J. M.*; Daly, S. R.* “Solid Energy Calibration Standards for P K-Edge XANES: Electronic Structure Analysis of PPh4µþ°ùâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;J. Synchrotron Rad., 2018, 25, 529.
- Minasian, S. G.; Batista, E. R.; Booth, C. H.; Clark, D. L.; Keith, J. M.; Kozimor, S. A.; Lukens, W. W.; Martin, R. L.; Shuh, D. K.; Stieber, S. C. E.; Tylisczcak; Wen, X.-d. “Quantitative Evidence for Lanthanide-Oxigen Orbital Mixing in CeO2, PrO2 and TbO2â€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2017, 139, 18052.
- Keith, J. M.*; Ye, Y.; Wei, H.; Buck, M. R. "Mechanistic Examination of Aerobic Pt Oxidation: Insertion of Molecular Oxygen into Pt–H Bonds Through a Radical Chain Mechanism" Dalton Trans., 2016, 45, 11650.
- Lee, K.; Wei, H.; Blake, A. V.; Donahue, C. M.; Kwon, H. Y.; Keith, J. M.*; Daly, S. R.* “Ligand K-Edge XAS, DFT and TDDFT Analysis of Pincer Linker Variations in Rh(I) PNP Complexes: Reactivity Insights From Electronic Structure†(Invited issue of Dalton Trans. Theme “2016 New Talent Americasâ€; Cover) Dalton Trans., 2016, 45, 9774.
- Donahue, C. M.; McCollom, S. P.; Forrest, C. M.; Blake, A. V.; Bellott, B. J.; Keith, J. M.*; Daly, S. R.* “Impact of Coordination Geometry, Bite Angle, and Trans Influence on Metal–Ligand Covalency in Phenyl–Substituted Phosphine Complexes of Ni and Pdâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Inorg. Chem., 2015, 54, 5646.
- Löble, M. W.; Keith, J. M.; Altman, A. B.; Stieber, C. E.; Batista, E. R.*; Boland, K. S.; Conradson, S. D.; Clark, D. L.; Pacheco, J. L.; Kozimor, S. A.*; Martin, R. L.*; Minasian, S. G.; Olson, A. C.; Scott, B. L.; Shuh, D. K.; Tyliszczak, T.; Wilkerson, M. P.; Zehnder, R. A. "Covalency in Lanthanides. An X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory Study of LnCl6³æ−(x = 3, 2)" J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2015, 137, 2056.
- Olson, A. C.; Keith, J. M.; Batista, E. R.*; Boland, K. S.; Daly, S. R.; Kozimor, S. A.*; MacInnes, M. M.; Martin, R. L.*; Scott, B. L. “Using Solution– and Solid–State S K–edge X–ray Absorption Spectroscopy with Density Functional Theory to Evaluate M–S Bonding for MS42- (M = Cr, Mo, W) Dianionsâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Dalton Trans., 2014, 43, 17283.
- Kuppuswamy, S.; Powers, T. M.; Johnson, B. M.; Brozek, C. K.; Krogman, J. P.; Bezpalko, M. W.; Berben, L. A.; Keith, J. M.; Foxman, B. M.; Thomas, C. M.* “One-Electron Oxidation Chemistry and Subsequent Reactivity of Diiron Imido Complexesâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Inorg. Chem., 2014, 53, 5429.
- Donahue, C. M.; Pacheco, J. S. L.; Keith, J. M.*; Daly, S. R.* “Sulfur K–edge X–ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory of Arsenic Dithiocarbamatesâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Dalton Trans., 2014, 43, 9189.
- Minasian, S. G.; Keith, J. M.; Batista, E. R.*; Boland, K. S.; Clark, D. L.; Kozimor, S. A.*; Martin, R. L.*; Shuh, D. K.; Tyliszczak, T. "New Evidence for 5f Covalency in Actinocenes Determined From Carbon K–edge XAS and Electronic Structure Theory" Chem. Sci., 2014, 5, 351.
- Minasian, S. G.; Keith, J. M.; Batista, E. R.*; Boland, K. S.; Kozimor, S. A.*; Martin, R. L.*; Shuh, D. K.*; Tyliszczak T.; Vernon, L. J. "Carbon K–edge X–ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Time–Dependent Density Functional Theory Examination of Metal–Carbon Bonding in Metallocene Dichlorides" J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2013, 135, 14731.
- Hayes, P. G.; Xu, Z.; Beddie, C.; Keith, J. M.; Hall, M. B.; Tilley, T. D. "The Osmium–Silicon Triple Bond: Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactivity of an Osmium Silylyne Complex" J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2013, 135, 11780.
- Minasian, S. G.; Keith, J. M.; Batista, E. R.*; Boland, K. S.; Bradley, J. A.; Daly, S. R.; Kozimor, S. A.*; Lukens, W. W.; Martin, R. L.*; Nordlund, D.; Seidler, G. T.; Shuh, D. K.*; Sokaras, D.; Tyliszczak, T.; Wagner, G.; Weng, T.-C.; Yang, P. "Covalency in Metal–Oxo Multiple Bonds Evaluated Using Oxygen K–edge Spectroscopy and Electronic Structure Theory" J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2013, 135, 1864.
- Daly, S. R.; Keith, J. M.; Batista, E. R.*; Boland, K. S.; Clark, D. L; Kozimor, S. A.*; Martin, R. L. “Sulfur K–edge X–ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory of Dithiophosphinate Extractants: Minor Actinide Selectivity and Electronic Structure Correlationsâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2012, 134, 14408.
- Keith, J. M.*; Teets, T. S.; Nocera, D. G. “O2 Insertion into Group 9 Metal–Hydride Bonds: Evidence for Oxygen Activation through the Hydrogen-Atom-Abstraction Mechanismâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Inorg. Chem., 2012, 51, 9499.
- Daly, S. R.; Keith, J. M.; Boland, K. S.; Batista, E. R.*; Kozimor, S. A.*; Martin, R. L.; Scott, B. L. “Probing Ni[S2PR2]2 Electronic Structure to Generate Insight Relevant to Minor Actinide Extraction Chemistryâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Inorg. Chem., 2012, 51, 7551.
- Minasian, S. G.; Keith, J. M.; Batista, E. R.*; Boland, K. S.; Clark, D. L.*; Conradson, S. D.*; Kozimor, S. A.*; Martin, R. L.*; Schwarz, D. E.; Scott, B. L.; Shuh, D. K.; Wagner, G. L.; Wilkerson, M. P.; Wolfsberg, L. E.; Yang, P. "Determining Relative f and d Orbital Contributions to M–Cl Covalency in MCl62– (M = Ti, Zr, Hf, U) and UOCl5– Using Cl K-Edge X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Time–Dependent Density Functional Theory" J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2012, 134, 5586.
- Keith, J. M.; Batista, E. R.* “Theoretical Examination of Thermodynamic Factors in the Selective Extraction of Am3+ from Eu3+ by Dithiophosphinic Acidsâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Inorg. Chem., 2012, 51, 13.
- Keith, J. M.; Goddard, W. A., III* “Chelating Base Effects in Palladium–Mediated Activation of Molecular Oxygenâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Organometallics, 2012, 31, 545.
- Keith, J. M.*; Meyerstein, D.; Hall, M. B.* “Computational Investigations into Hydrogen–Atom Abstraction from Rhodium Hydride Complexes by Methyl Radicals in Aqueous Solutionâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Eur. J.Inorg. Chem., 2011, 31, 4901.
- Travia, N. E.; Xu, Z.; Keith, J. M.; Ison, E. A.; Fanwick, P. E.; Hall, M. B.*; Abu-Omar, M. M.* “Observation of Inductive Effects That Cause a Change in the Rate-Determining Step for the Conversion of Rhenium Azides to Imido Complexesâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Inorg. Chem., 2011, 50, 10505.
- Keith, J. M.*; Abu-Omar, M. M.; Hall, M. B.* “Computational Investigation of the Concerted Dismutation of Chlorite Ion by Water-Soluble Iron-Porphyrinsâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Inorg. Chem., 2011, 50, 7928.
- Huang, S.-H.; Keith, J. M.; Hall, M. B.*; Richmond, M. G.* “Ortho Metalation Dynamics and Ligand Fluxionality in the Conversion of Os3(CO)10(dppm) to HOs3(CO)8[mâ€Ñï³ó±Ê(°ä6H4–m2,h1)CH2PPh2]: Experimental and DFT Evidence for the Participation of Agostic C–H and p–Aryl Intermediates at an Intact Triosmium Clusterâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Organometallics, 2010, 29, 4041.
- Keith, J. M.; Hall, M. B.* “Potential Hydrogen Bottleneck in Nickel–Iron Hydrogenaseâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Inorg. Chem., 2010, 49, 6378.
- Keith, J. M.; Tomić Z. D; Zarić, S. D.; Hall, M. B.* “Oxygen Atom Transfer Catalysis: Ligand Effects on the Key Reaction Barrier in Molybdenum (VI) Dioxo Systemsâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;J. Mol. Catal A: Chem. (Computational Catalysis Special Issue), 2010, 324, 15.
- Keith, J. M.; Goddard, W. A., III* “Mechanism for Activation of Molecular Oxygen by cis- and trans-(Pyridine)2Pd(OAc)H: Pd0 vs. Direct Insertionâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2009, 131, 1416.
- Keith, J. M.; Goddard, W. A., III*; Oxgaard J.* “Pd-Mediated Activation of Molecular Oxygen: Pd(0) versus Direct Insertionâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2007, 129, 10361.
- Keith, J. M.; Muller, R. P.; Kemp, R. A.; Goldberg, K. I.; Goddard, W. A., III*; Oxgaard J.* “Mechanism of Direct Molecular Oxygen Insertion in a Palladium(II)–Hydride Bondâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Inorg. Chem., 2006, 45, 9631.
- Keith, J. M.; Nielsen, R. J.; Oxgaard J.; Goddard, W. A., III* “Pd–Mediated Activation of Molecular Oxygen in Nonpolar Mediumâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2005, 127, 13172.
- Nielsen, R. J.; Keith, J. M.; Stoltz. B. M.; Goddard, W. A., III* “A Computational Model Relating Structure and Reactivity in Enantioselective Oxidations of Secondary Alcohols by (–)–Sparteine–PdII Complexesâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2004, 126, 7967.
- Marchand, A. P.*; Keith, J. M.; Alihodžić, S.; Ganguly, B.; Somers, A. W.; Hariprakasha, H. K.; Power, T. D.; Watson, W. H.; Bodige, S. G. “Stereoelectronic Control of Additions of Vinylmagnesium Bromide to 1–Methyl– and 3–Methylpentacyclo[5.4.0.02,6.03,10.05,9]undecane–8,11–diones and to 1–Methylhexacyclo[10.2.1.0.02,11.04,9.04,14.09,13]pentadeca–5,7–diene–3,10–dioneâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Struct. Chem., 2001, 12, 313.
2016-2017
2015-2016
2014-2015
2013-2014
Current Group Members
- Matthew Bousquet ’20
- Leah Weisburn ’20
- Peter Baker ’20
Former Group Members
Oliver Harris ’19
- Magna Cum Laude
- Honors in Chemistry
- Summer '17 - Summer ’18
- Current: Graduate School at Yale
Harrison Chen ’19
- Summer '17 - Spring ’19
Markus Y. Miranda ’19
- Summer '16 - Spring ’19
Victoria Bradley ’18
- Fall ’17 - Spring ’18
Garrett W. Esper ’18
- Magna Cum Laude
- Honors in Biochemistry
- Summer '16 - Spring ’18
- Current: Medical School at SUNY Upstate
Sydney M. Loria ’18
- °Ä²Ê¿ª½± Salutatorian
- Summa Cum Laude
- High Honors in Chemistry
- Summer '16 - Spring ’18
- Current: Medical School at University of Rochester
Shelby M. Holland ’18
- Spring ’15-Spring ’16
Samuel J. Kim ’17
- Fall ’16 - Spring ’17
Clare C. Bannon ’17
- Fall ’16 - Spring ’17
Khanh Nguyen ’17
- Spring ’15-Summer ’15
Andre V. D'Souza ’17
- Spring ’14-Summer ’14
Fiona B. Evans ’16
- Cum Laude
- Summer ’14 - Spring ’16
Yixin (Eli) Ye ’16
- Fall ’15 - Spring ’16
Haochuan Wei ’16
- Summa Cum Laude
- Summer ’14 - Spring ’16
Daniel Kim ’15
- Magna Cum Laude
- High Honors in Chemistry
- Spring ’14 - Spring ’15
- Current: Graduate School at Yale
Celia M. Sherry ’15
- Magna Cum Laude
- Summer ’14 - Spring ’15
Hyuk Yong Kwon ’14
- Cum Laude
- Honors in Chemistry
- Fall ’13 - Spring ’14
- Current: Graduate Student UNC
Samuel P. McCollom ’14
- Magna Cum Laude
- High Honors in Chemistry
- Fall ’13 - Spring ’14
- Current: Chemistry Graduate School at U Penn
Jason M. Keith obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry in June 2008 from Prof. William A. Goddard, III, Professor at Caltech (California Institute of Technology) in Pasadena, CA
William A. Goddard, III obtained his Ph.D. in Engineering Science in October 1964 from Prof. Pol Duwez, Professor at Caltech (California Institute of Technology) in Pasadena CA
Pol Duwez received his D.Sc. in 1933 from Prof. Emile Henriot at U. Brussels in Belgium
Emile Henriot received his D.Sc. in Physics in 1912 from Marie Curie, Professor at the Sorbonne, Paris France
Marie Curie received her D.Sc. in 1903 from Prof. Becquerel at the Ecole Phys. Chim. Ind, Paris France