Graham Murphy
Biography
Given the prevalence of fluorine in pharmaceuticals (~20 percent), agrochemicals (~30 percent) and industrial chemicals (e.g., Teflon®), new methods of incorporating fluorine into organic scaffolds is of utmost importance. Graham Murphy has recently discovered a new approach to incorporating fluorine and chlorine into organic materials, using hypervalent iodine reagents as halogen transfer agents. This chemistry holds broad appeal to a wide community, and is continuously being expanded to include structural scaffolds of industrial, medicinal and societal importance.
Although lithium-ion batteries are the state-of-the-art rechargeable power source for portable electronics, achieving the same level of efficacy in large-scale systems (e.g., hybrid electric vehicles) requires fundamental innovation in materials. Graham Murphy’s experience in target-oriented synthesis and in fluorination methodologies is being applied to devising new, oxidatively stable organic electrolytes for use in large-scale rechargeable batteries.
Although lithium-ion batteries are the state-of-the-art rechargeable power source for portable electronics, achieving the same level of efficacy in large-scale systems (e.g., hybrid electric vehicles) requires fundamental innovation in materials. Graham Murphy’s experience in target-oriented synthesis and in fluorination methodologies is being applied to devising new, oxidatively stable organic electrolytes for use in large-scale rechargeable batteries.
Research Interests
- Organic synthesis
- Medicinal chemistry
- Synthetic methodology
- Hypervalent iodine
- Halogenation
- Synthetic Chemistry and Catalysis
- Next Generation Energy Systems
- Molecular Therapeutics and Theranostics
- Drug Discovery, Design and Delivery
- Increasingly Complex Water Challenges
Education
- 2006, PhD, Organic Synthesis, University of Alberta, Canada
- 2001, BSc, Chemistry, University of Victoria, Canada
Awards
- 2016, Early Researcher Award, Province of Ontario
- 2016, CNC-IUPAC Travel Award (for attending ICOS21, Bombay, India, December 2016)
- 2015, Tetrahedron Letters: Top 10 Reviewer for 2014
- 2014, Outstanding Performance Award, 2014
- 2014, Chem Club Periodic Table of Teaching Excellence Award 2014
- 2014, Tetrahedron Letters: Top 10 Reviewer for 2013
- 2014, Thieme Chemistry Journal Award
- 2013, Tetrahedron Letters: Top 10 Reviewer for 2012
- 2008-2010, NSERC Post-Doctoral Fellowship
- 2006-2007, JSPS Post-Doctoral Fellowship
- 2002-2007, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Graduate Studentship
- 2006, Oral Presentation Award, 89th CSC National Meeting
- 2004-2006, NSERC PGS D2
- 2004-2006, Walter H. Johns Graduate Fellowship
- 2004, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Inc. Graduate Scholarship
- 2002, Province of Alberta Graduate Scholarship
- 2001, University of Alberta Entrance Award
- 2001 and 1998, NSERC USRAs
Service
- 2011-present, Faculty Association, University of Waterloo, Chemistry Representative
- 2014-2015, Chemistry Awards Committee
- 2012-2014, Science Faculty Council, Chemistry Representative
- 2012, Chemistry/Science Strategic Planning Initiative, Co-operative Education
- 2012, Co-op Strategic Research Panel
Affiliations and Volunteer Work
- Member, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology
Teaching*
- CHEM 265 - Organic Chemistry 2
- Taught in 2021, 2022
- CHEM 266 - Basic Organic Chemistry 1
- Taught in 2020, 2021
- CHEM 400 - Special Topics in Chemistry
- Taught in 2021
- CHEM 464 - Spectroscopy in Organic Chemistry
- Taught in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
- CHEM 766 - Organic Spectroscopy
- Taught in 2022, 2024
* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.
Selected/Recent Publications
- Zhensheng Zhao, Avery J. To and Dr. Graham K. Murphy*, "Difluorinative Ring Expansions of Benzo-Fused Carbocycles and Heterocycles are Achieved with p-(Difluoroiodo)toluene" Chem. Commun. 2019, 55, 14821.
- Tristan Chidley, Islam Jameel, Shafa Rizwan, Philippe A. Peixoto, Dr. Laurent Pouységu, Dr. Stéphane Quideau,* Dr. W. Scott Hopkins* and Dr. Graham K. Murphy*, "Blue LED Irradiation of Iodonium Ylides Gives Diradical Intermediates for Efficient Metal-ˇfree Cyclopropanation with Alkenes" Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2019, 58, 16959. (Cover Art).
- Zhengsheng Zhao, Kevin C.Y. Ma, Dr. Claude Y. Legault* and Dr. Graham K. Murphy*, "Denitrogenative Hydrotrifluoromethylation of Benzaldehyde Hydrazones: Synthesis of (2,2,2-Trifluoroethyl)arenes" Chem. Eur. J., 2019, 25, 11240.
- Zhengsheng Zhao, Islam Jameel and Graham K. Murphy*, "Vicinal Dichlorination of o-Vinylbiphenyls and the Synthesis of 9-(Arylmethyl)fluorenes via Tandem Friedel-Crafts Alkylations" Synthesis, 2019, 51, 2648.
- Jason Tao and Graham K. Murphy*, "A Practical, Large-Scale Synthesis of p-(Difluoroiodo)toluene (p-TolIF2)" Synthesis, 2019, 51, 3055.
Patents
- Kusuoku, Hiroshi; Shibuya, Yusuke; Ohashi, Sachihiro; Takagi, Yutaka; Okubo, Koji “Macrocarpals and ceramide formation promoters containing them” JP 2001055325, Feb 27, 2001.