Graham Murphy

Graham Murphy
Professor, Associate Dean of Science (External Affairs)
Location: ESC 3116

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.

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 2021
  • CHEM 360 - Organic Chemistry 3
    • Taught in 2025
  • CHEM 400 - Special Topics in Chemistry
    • Taught in 2021
  • CHEM 464 - Spectroscopy in Organic Chemistry
    • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
  • CHEM 766 - Organic Spectroscopy
    • Taught in 2022, 2024

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

Patents

  • Kusuoku, Hiroshi; Shibuya, Yusuke; Ohashi, Sachihiro; Takagi, Yutaka; Okubo, Koji “Macrocarpals and ceramide formation promoters containing them” JP 2001055325, Feb 27, 2001.

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