Ronald Blankespoor, Ph.D.
Professor
Email: blan@calvin.edu
Office: 333 DeVries Hall
Phone: (616)526-6174
Fax: (616)526-6501
Weekly Schedule
(Calvin Portal login required)
Education
- B.A. Dordt College, 1968
- Ph.D. Iowa State University , 1971
Thesis: "Cyclic Unsaturated Semidiones and Ketyls"
Thesis Advisor: Professor Glen A. Russell
Professional History
- Professor of Chemistry, Calvin College, 1977-present; Chair of the Department 1992-95, 2003-2006; Brummel Professor of Chemistry, 2006 - present
- Research Associate, Centre Nationale de la Recherche, University of
Paris, 2001
- Visiting Professor of Chemistry, University of Paris, 2000
- Research Associate, Centre Nationale de la Recherche, Aubiere, France, 1991-92
- Visiting Professor of Chemistry, University of Colorado, 1988
- Visiting Professor of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 1983-84
- Visiting Professor of Chemistry, University of Michigan, 1980, 1982
- Assistant/Associate Professor of Chemistry, Wake Forest University, 1973-77
- Assistant Professor of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 1971-73
Courses
- Chem 103 & 103L: General Chemistry I & General Chemistry I Laboratory
- Chem 104 & 104L: General Chemistry II & General Chemistry II Laboratory
- Chem 253 & 253L: Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry I & Laboratory
- Chem 262 & 262L: Organic Chemistry II & Organic Chemistry II Laboratory
- IDIS 191 & 191L: Introductory Meteorology Lecture & Laboratory
- Interim: Be Fit For Life: Bike Australia
Research Interests
One of our research projects involves the use of a commercially available chiral catalyst in allylic substitution reactions with amines as nucleophiles and carbonates as leaving groups. When racemic carbonates are reacted with one-half equivalents of amines in the presence of this rhodium catalyst, not only are the secondary amine products obtained in high enantioselectivity, the unreacted carbonates are also obtained as a single enantiomer. Thus, this method can be used can be used for the kinetic resolution of racemic carbonates and for the synthesis of secondary amines in large enantiomeric excesses. We are studying the mechanism for this reaction and exploring the scope of this reaction with respect to substrates, nucleophiles, and leaving groups.
