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Kersey Black
Professor of Chemistry
 
Email: kblack@jsd.claremont.edu
Office: Keck Science Center 230
Phone: 909-607-3091
Office Hours: on Sabbatical 2008-2009
Web Site: http://black.jsd.claremont.edu
   
Courses Taught This Year:
Fall AISS 001BL Accelerated Integrated Science Sequence Section 1
  TTh 8:10-10:50 <> KS 127
 
   
Educational Background:
B.S., San Diego State University
Ph.D., University of Oregon
Postdoctoral Fellow of the Swiss National Science Foundation, Lausanne, Switzerland
Courses Taught:
Chem 14, 15, 116, 117, 68, 69, 126, 134
Research Interests:
Physical organic chemistry, with an emphasis on computational approaches to understanding organic reaction mechanisms.
Thesis Topics:
Molecular modeling as a way of understanding the mechanism of chemical processes ranging from thermally induced rearrangements of small hydrocarbons to the catalytic activity of certain anitbodies.
 
Selected Publications List: Click to open new window.
1.   Black, KA; Leach, AG; Kalani, M. YS; Houk, KN . (2004). The Antibody-Catalyzed Oxy-Cope Rearrangement: Mechanism and Origins of Catalysis and Stereoselectivity from DFT Quantum Mechanics and Flexible Docking. J. Am. Chem. Soc.   126: 9695-9708.
 
2.   Black, KA; Wilsey, S; Houk, KN . (2003). Dissociative and Associative Mechanisms of Cope Rearrangements of Fluorinated 1,5-Hexadienes and 2,2'-Bis-methylenecyclopentanes. J. Am. Chem. Soc.   125: 6715-6724.
 
3.   Black, KA; Wilsey, S; Houk, KN . (1998). Alkynes, Allenes, and Alkenes in [3,3]-Sigmatropy: Functional Diversity and Kinetic Monotony. A Theoretical Analysis. J. Am. Chem. Soc.   120: 5622-5627.
 
4.   Houk, KN; Beno, BR, Maja, N; Black, KA; Yoo, HY; Wilsey, S; Lee, JK . (1997). Exploration of Pericyclic Reaction Transition Structures with Quantum Mechanical Methods: Competing Concerted and Stepwise Mechanisms. J. Mol. Structure (Theochem.)   398-399: 169-179.
 
5.   Wiest, OG; Houk, KN; Black, KA; Thomas, B . (1995). Secondary Kinetic Isotope Effects of Diastereotopic Protons in Pericyclic Reactions: A New Mechanistic Probe. J. Am. Chem. Soc.   117: 8594-8599.
 
6.   Wiest, OG; Black, KA; Houk, KN . (1994). Density Functional Theory Isotope Effects and Activation Energies for the Cope and Claisen Rearrangements. J. Am. Chem. Soc.   116: 10336-10337.
 
7.   Black, KA . (1993). What To Do When You Stop Lecturing. J. Chem. Educ.   69: 140-146.
 
8.   Houk, KN; Gustafson, SM; Black, KA . (1992). Theoretical Secondary Kinetic Isotope Effects and the Interpretation of Transition State Geometries. I. The Cope Rearrangement. J. Am. Chem. Soc.   114: 8565-8572.
 
9.   Black, KA . (1990). Flow Chart Determination of Isomeric Relationships. J. Chem. Educ.   67: 141-142.
 
10.   Black, KA . (1990). Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrum Simulator. J. Chem. Educ.: Software   IIc: 1.
 
11.   Black, KA . (1989). Molecular Display (program #QMAC011). Quantum Chemistry Program Exchange Bulletin   9: 105.
 
12.   Black, KA; Vogel, P . (1986). Regioselectivity of Electrophilic Additions to 7 Oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptenes Controlled by Remote Substituents. Arenesulfonyl Substituted 7-Oxabicyclo[2.2.l]heptenes as Stereo- and Regioselective Chiral Dienophilies. Helv. Chim. Acta.   51: 5341-5348.
 
13.   Black, KA; Vogel, P . (1984). Optical Resolution of 7-Oxabicyclo[2.2.l]hept-2-ene Derivatives. Diastereoselectivity in the Formation of Cyanohydrin-Brucine Complexes. Helv. Chim. Acta.   67: 1612-1615.
 
14.   Baldwin, JE; Black, KA . (1984). Complete Kinetic Analysis of Thermal Stereomutations Among the Eight, 2,3-Dideuterio-2-methoxymethylspiro-[cyclopropane-l,l'-indenes]. J. Am. Chem. Soc.   106: l029-1040.
 
15.   Baldwin, JE; Black, KA . (1983). Stereoselective Preparation of trans-2,3-Dideuterio-2-en-l-ol. J. Org. Chem.   48: 2778-2779.