Henry J. Shine Lecture Series
Dr. Henry J. Shine, Paul Whitfield Horn Professor
This annual lecture series was endowed by students, colleagues and friends of Professor Shine and supplemented by a grant from the Plum Foundation.
Dr. Shine was born in 1923 in London, England. He received the B. Sc. in chemistry with first class honors from University College, London University in 1944, and his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Bedford College, London University in 1947. After postdoctoral studies at Iowa State College and the California Institute of Technology, he worked as a research chemist for United States Rubber Company. He joined the faculty of the Department of Chemistry at Texas Tech University in 1904, where he soon became one of the outstanding researchers at the University. In 1968, he was designated as the first Paul Whitfield Horn Professor of Chemistry, an honor that recognized his international research reputation. He was Chairman of the department during 1969-19710.One of Professor Shine’s research interests in physical organic chemistry has been the use of heavy atom kinetic isotope effects to help answer difficult mechanistic questions. His studies of the Claisen rearrangement in both aromatic and vinylic allyl ethers played an important role in defining these reactions as concerted. His investigations of the benzidine rearrangement likewise solved the longstanding question of mechanism. His research is now focused on the chemistry of organic cation radicals, concentrating on reactions that are induced by single-electron transfer (SET) to stable cation radicals. This research has led to the discovery of the oxidative decomposition of azoalkanes, which occurs when they react by SET with cation radicals, and leads principally to carbocationic chemistry of these traditional sources of free radicals. Related work has documented the chemistry of radicals formed by SET from Grignard reagents and organomercurials to the thianthrene cation radical. His latest research in this area has demonstrated the ways in which organosulfur cation radicals add to alkenes and alkynes, and how the adducts lead to further interesting reactions.
Shine Lecturers
1999
Professor Clayton Heathcock, University of California, Berkeley
"Total Synthesis of Spongistatin, a Marine Natural Product with Unprecedented Cytotoxicity"
2000
Professor Peter Dervan, California Institute of Technology
"Regulation of Gene Expression by Synthetic DNA Binding Ligands"
2001
Professor Julius Rebek, Jr., The Scripps Research Institute
"Molecular Assembly and Encapsulation"
2002
Professor Barry Trost, Stanford University
"On Inventing Reactions for Atom Economy"
2003
Professor Dennis P. Curran, University of Pittsburgh
"An Introduction to Fluorous Synthesis: From Separating Mixtures to Making Mixtures"
2004
Professor Amos B. Smith, III, University of Pennsylvania
"Evolution of a Gram Scale Total Synthesis of (+)-Spongistatin 1: Challenges, Excitement, and Frustrations"
2007
Professor Jacqueline K. Barton, Division of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology
"Travels Along the DNA Helix: A Different Perspective"
2008
Professor Robert H. Grubbs, Division of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology
"From fundamental research to applications: The olefin metathesis reaction"