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William B. Jennings

Professor
Chemistry
University College Cork
Cork
Ireland

T: +353-21-490-3000
F: +353 21 490 2989
E: b.jennings@ucc.ie
Web Page

Professor Jennings obtained his B.Sc. and Ph.D. Degrees at Queen's Univerity, Belfast. Subsequently he spent fifteen months at the University of Texas, Austin, working with Michael J.S. Dewar and Alan H. Cowley on the synthesis, conformatin and NMR spectra of organonitrogen and organophosphorus compounds. In 1971 he was appointed to a Lectureship and subsequently to a Senior Lectureship at the University of Birmingham, England. During this period he was also Director of the NMR and Mass Spectrometry Unit. During the summer of 1976 Professor Jennings was Visiting Foreign Scientist at the Chemistry Department, Auburn University, Alabama. In 1992 Professor Jennings was appointed to the Professorship of Organic Chemistry at University College Cork and he served as Head of Chemistry from May 1993-April 1996 and April 2002 - May 2004. He also served as Chairperson of the Committee of Heads of Irish University Chemistry Departments (CHIUCD) from 1996-1999 and 2005 - 2006. He is currently the Ireland representative on the Chemistry Subject Group of the Tuning Educational Structures in Europe Project. Professor Jennings' group is well known for their published work over the last twenty years on imines and oxaziridines and on the conformation and stereodynamics of a variety of organic compounds. He is the author of in excess of one hundred refereed research publications in international chemistry journals (mainly in the Journals of The Chemical Society, London, Tetrahedron/Tetrahedron Letters and the American Chemical Society.

Research Interests

Synthesis, structure and relativity of heterocyclic compounds especially small-ring heterocycles. Novel oxidants and chiral oxygen transfer reactions. Applications of NMR Specgtroscopy to problems in organic chemistry. Synthesis, sereochemistry ad conformation of imino compounds. Conformation and stereodynamics of organic compounds. Structure and reactivity of organophosphorus compounds. Recent work is concerned with the synthesis of new types of oxaziridine containing an N-phosphinoyl moiety and exploring their potential as neutral aprotic chiral oxidants. Compounds containing a stereogenic phosphorus moiety are being investigated as reagents for chiral oxygen transfer. Another current research project is concerned with the investigation of novel non-classical attractive edge-to-face interactions between aromatic groups in imines, alkenes and amino acid derivatives. These types of non-classical interactios are involved in molecular recognition and self assembly in biological systems.

Peer Reviewed Journals

YearPublication
(2009)'Topically resolved intramolecular CH-pi interactions in phenylalanine derivatives'
Jennings, WB,McCarthy, NJP,Kelly, P,Malone, JF; (2009) 'Topically resolved intramolecular CH-pi interactions in phenylalanine derivatives' [DOI] [Details]
(2006)'Stereodynamics and edge-to-face CH-pi aromatic interactions in O-phenethyl-substituted biaryls'
Jennings, WB,Farrell, BA,Malone, JF; (2006) 'Stereodynamics and edge-to-face CH-pi aromatic interactions in O-phenethyl-substituted biaryls' [DOI] [Details]
(2003)'Applications of N-phosphinoyloxaziridines in the conversion of alkenes to epoxides and esters to alpha-hydroxyesters'
Jennings, WB,Schweppe, A,Testa, LM,Zaballos-Garcia, E,Sepulveda-Arques, J; (2003) 'Applications of N-phosphinoyloxaziridines in the conversion of alkenes to epoxides and esters to alpha-hydroxyesters' [Details]
(2001)'Trifluoromethyl substituted N-phosphinoyloxaziridines: organic oxidants with enhanced reactivity'
Jennings, WB,O'Shea, JH,Schweppe, A; (2001) 'Trifluoromethyl substituted N-phosphinoyloxaziridines: organic oxidants with enhanced reactivity' [Details]
(2000)'The UCC supercritical fluid centre'
M A Morris, J D Holmes, B Jennings, J D Glennon and C M M Smith; (2000) 'The UCC supercritical fluid centre' [Details]
(2000)'The UCC supercritical fluid centre'
Morris MA, Holmes JD, Jennings WB, Glennon JD, Smith CMM; (2000) 'The UCC supercritical fluid centre' [Details]
(1999)'Domino reaction between 2-acylfurans and diethyl azodicarboxylate: a combined experimental, theoretical, X-ray and dynamic NMR study'
Gonzalez-Rosende, ME,Sepulveda-Arques, J,Zaballos-Garcia, E,Domingo, LR,Zaragoza, RJ,Jennings, WB,Lawrence, SE,O'Leary, D; (1999) 'Domino reaction between 2-acylfurans and diethyl azodicarboxylate: a combined experimental, theoretical, X-ray and dynamic NMR study' [Details]
(1997)'Conformation and stereodynamics of alkyl 9-anthryl sulfoxides'
Jennings, WB,Kochanewycz, MJ,Lunazzi, L; (1997) 'Conformation and stereodynamics of alkyl 9-anthryl sulfoxides' [Details]
(1997)'Ring transformation of furfural into an unusual bicyclic system: Characterisation and dynamic stereochemistry of 6,7-diethoxycarbonyl-6,7-diaza-8-oxabicyclo[3,2,1]oct-3-en-2-one'
ZaballosGarcia, E,GonzalezRosende, ME,JordaGregori, JM,SepulvedaArques, J,Jennings, WB,OLeary, D,Twomey, S; (1997) 'Ring transformation of furfural into an unusual bicyclic system: Characterisation and dynamic stereochemistry of 6,7-diethoxycarbonyl-6,7-diaza-8-oxabicyclo[3,2,1]oct-3-en-2-one' [Details]
(1996)'Edge-to-face aromatic interactions in alkenes, nitrones and imines'
Body, DR,Evans, TA,Jennings, WB,Malone, JF,OSullivan, W,Smith, A; (1996) 'Edge-to-face aromatic interactions in alkenes, nitrones and imines' [Details]
(1994)'OPTICALLY-ACTIVE N-PHOSPHINOYLOXAZIRIDINES - PREPARATION AND CHIRAL OXYGEN-TRANSFER TO PROCHIRAL SULFIDES'
JENNINGS, WB,KOCHANEWYCZ, MJ,LOVELY, CJ,BOYD, DR; (1994) 'OPTICALLY-ACTIVE N-PHOSPHINOYLOXAZIRIDINES - PREPARATION AND CHIRAL OXYGEN-TRANSFER TO PROCHIRAL SULFIDES' [Details]
(1993)'SYNTHESIS AND SPONTANEOUS RACEMIZATION OF BENZ[A]ANTHRACENE 3,4-OXIDE - PHOTOCHEMICAL OXYGEN-WALK REARRANGEMENTS OF ARENE OXIDES OF BENZ[A]ANTHRACENE AND TRIPHENYLENE TO YIELD OXEPINES'
BOYD, DR,SHARMA, ND,AGARWAL, SK,GADAGINAMATH, GS,OKANE, GA,JENNINGS, WB,YAGI, H,JERINA, DM; (1993) 'SYNTHESIS AND SPONTANEOUS RACEMIZATION OF BENZ[A]ANTHRACENE 3,4-OXIDE - PHOTOCHEMICAL OXYGEN-WALK REARRANGEMENTS OF ARENE OXIDES OF BENZ[A]ANTHRACENE AND TRIPHENYLENE TO YIELD OXEPINES' [Details]
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