28. Reductive Radical Chain Initiation Through the Thermal Generation of Carbon Dioxide Radical Anion
E. R. X. Lim, B. D. Cooper, M. Shanmugam, J. Da Luz, E. J. L. McInnes, C. Trujillo, J. J. Douglas, M. J. James*
Nat. Synth. 2025 , DOI: 10.1038/s44160-025-00919-z
Preprint: ChemRvix 2025 , DOI: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-b3059
◾ Highlighted in the UoM Newsroom
N
N
CO
2
Et
O
F
3
C
R
N
NC
N
R
CN
Δ
Ar
O
O
H
CO
2
Ar
X
Reductive
initiation
Thermally
generated
electron
donor
CO
2
X
•
Inexpensive
•
Scalable
•
No
specialist
equipment
required
α
-Arylation
27. Nucleophilic Amination of Aryl Halides with an Azanide Surrogate
B. D. Cooper, T. D. Harris, E. R. X. Lim, K. A. Hooper, G. F. S. Whitehead, J. R. Carney, M. J. James*
Chem. Eur. J. 2024 , 31 , e202403952
"
"
N
-Arylation
Cleavage
One-pot
Ar
X
HN
NH
N
CF
3
+
Ar
NH
2
NH
2
X
=
F
,
Cl
,
Br
26. Computational Design of Bidentate Hypervalent Iodine Catalysts in Halogen Bond-Mediated Organocatalysis
J. O'Brien, N. Melnyk, R. Shing Lee, M. J. James, C. Trujillo*
ChemPhysChem 2024 , 25 , e202400515
25. Computational Methods for Investigating Organic Radical Species
T. Renningholtz, E. R. X. Lim, M. J. James*, C. Trujillo*
Org. Biomol. Chem. 2024 , 22 , 6166–6173
◾ Invited contribution to a themed collection on Computational Organic Chemistry
?
Wavefunction
Methods
Double-Hybrid
Functionals
Hybrid
Functionals
Meta-GGA
Functionals
▪
Redox
potentials
▪
BDEs
Organic
Radicals
▪
RSEs
24. Denitrative Sulfonylation of Nitroarenes with Sodium Sulfinates
J. Da Luz, M. Čierna, B. D. Cooper, T. D. Harris, E. R. X. Lim, J. R. Carney, M. J. James*
Synthesis 2024 , 56 , 3253–3260
◾ Invited contribution to the special issue for the 10th Pacific Symposium on Radical Chemistry (PSRC-10)
Cs
2
CO
3
DMPU
90
°C,
24
h
Ar
S
R
O
O
Ar
NO
2
Na
O
S
R
O
+
15
examples
up
to
83%
yield
electron-deficient
and
polycyclic
nitroarenes
23. Radical Dearomatising Spirocyclisation of Benzisoxazole-Tethered Ynones
N. Inprung, A. C. Whitwood, R. J. K. Taylor, M. J. James*, W. P. Unsworth*
Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2023 , 26 , e202300603
◾ Invited contribution to the special collection on Radical Chemistry in Homogeneous Catalysis and Organic Synthesis
O
SAr
NH
O
O
N
O
HSAr
DCE
60
°C
O
SAr
N
O
22. Denitrative Hydroxylation of Unactivated Nitroarenes
L. Duff† , H. Meakin† , A. Richardson† , A. J. Greener, G. W. A. Smith, I. Ocaña, V. Chechik, M. J. James*
Chem. Eur. J. 2023 , 29 , e202203807
Preprint: ChemRvix 2022 , DOI: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2022-9l5gq
◾ Highlighted in ChemistryViews Organic Chemistry Portal
◾ Recognised as a top viewed article in Chem. Eur. J.
+
Ar
NO
2
Ar
OH
one-step
KOH,
DMSO
HO
N
N
Me
"
"
OH
unactivated
Key
challenge:
M
+
NO
2
M
large
Δ
G
‡
up-hill
'unknown'
dissociation
of
nitroarene
radical-anions
Δ
G
>
0
Ar
NO
2
Ar
21. Safe Handling of Air-Sensitive Organometallic Reagents Using Schlenk Line Techniques: Negishi Cross-Couplings for Trainee Graduate Students
M. J. James*, G. E. Clarke, C. Lee, I. J. S. Fairlamb*
J. Chem. Educ. 2022 , 99 , 2656–2660
20. Indole-ynones as Privileged Substrates for Radical Dearomatizing Spirocyclization Cascades
N. Inprung, H. E. Ho, J. A. Rossi-Ashton, R. G. Epton, A. C. Whitwood, J. M. Lynam, R. J. K. Taylor, M. J. James*, W. P. Unsworth*
Org. Lett. 2022 , 24 , 668–674
N
H
O
R
2
R
1
Z
N
H
O
R
2
R
1
N
O
R
2
R
1
Z
Z
CF
3
SnR
3
SO
2
R
H
2
B
NHC
.
Z
CN
19. Radical–Anion Coupling Through Reagent Design: Hydroxylation of Aryl Halides
A. J. Greener† , P. Ubysz† , W. Owens-Ward, G. Smith, I. Ocaña, A. C. Whitwood, V. Chechik, M. J. James*
Chem. Sci. 2021 , 12 , 14641–14646
Preprint: ChemRvix 2021 , DOI: 10.33774/chemrxiv-2021-szmqs
◾ Highlighted in Synfacts
+
Ar
X
Ar
OH
X
=
F,
Cl,
Br,
I
radical–anion
coupling
Base,
DMSO
HO
N
N
Me
"
"
OH
18. A Thiol-Mediated Three-Step Ring Expansion Cascade for the Conversion of Indoles into Functionalized Quinolines
N. Inprung, M. J. James*, R. J. K. Taylor*, W. P. Unsworth*
Org. Lett. 2021 , 23 , 2063–2068
17. Visible-Light-Induced Intramolecular Charge Transfer in the Radical Spirocyclisation of Indole-Tethered Ynones
H. E. Ho, A. Pagano, J. A. Rossi-Ashton, J. R. Donald, R. G. Epton, J. C. Churchill, M. J. James, P. O'Brien, R. J. K. Taylor*, W. P. Unsworth*
Chem. Sci. 2020 , 11 , 1353–1360
Doctoral and Postdoctoral Work
16. Dynamic kinetic sensitization of β-dicarbonyl compounds – Access to medium-sized rings via a De Mayo-type ring expansion
T. O. Paulisch† , L. A. Mai† , F. Strieth-Kalthoff† , M. J. James, C. Henkel, D. M. Guldi*, F. Glorius*
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022 , 61 , e202112695
15. Visible-Light-Mediated Charge Transfer Enables C–C Bond Formation with Traceless Acceptor Groups
M. J. James, F. Strieth-Kalthoff, F. Sandfort, F. J. R. Klauck, F. Wagener, F. Glorius*
Chem. Eur. J. 2019 , 25 , 8240–8244
14. Visible-Light-Mediated Deaminative Three-Component Dicarbofunctionalization of Styrenes with Benzylic Radicals
F. J. R. Klauck, H. Yoon, M. J. James, M. Lautens*, F. Glorius*
ACS Catal. 2019 , 9 , 236–241
13. Deaminative Borylation of Aliphatic Amines Enabled by Visible Light Excitation of an Electron-Donor-Acceptor Complex
F. Sandfort, F. Strieth-Kalthoff, F. J. R. Klauck, M. J. James, F. Glorius*
Chem. Eur. J. 2018 , 24 , 17210–17214
12. Energy Transfer Catalysis Mediated by Visible Light: Principles, Applications, Directions
F. Strieth-Kalthoff, M. J. James, M. Teders, L. Pitzer, F. Glorius*
Chem. Soc. Rev. 2018 , 47 , 7190–7202
11. Dearomative Cascade Photocatalysis: Divergent Synthesis through Catalyst Selective Energy Transfer
M. J. James, J. L. Schwarz, F. Strieth-Kalthoff, B. Wibbeling, F. Glorius*
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018 , 140 , 8624–8628
10. Ag(I)-Catalyzed Synthesis of Azabicyclic Alkaloid Frameworks from Ketimine-Tethered Ynones: Total Synthesis of Indolizidine 209D
H. E. Ho, M. J. James, P. O'Brien, R. J. K. Taylor*, W. P. Unsworth*
Org. Lett. 2018 , 20 , 1439–1443
9. Increasing Catalyst Efficiency in C–H Activation Catalysis
T. Gensch, M. J. James, T. Dalton, F. Glorius*
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018 , 57 , 2296–2306
8. Deaminative Strategy for the Visible-Light-Mediated Generation of Alkyl Radicals
F. J. R. Klauck† , M. J. James† , F. Glorius*
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017 , 56 , 12336–12339
7. Catalytic Dearomatization Approach to Quinolizidine Alkaloids: Five Step Total Synthesis of (±)-Lasubine II
M. J. James, N. D. Grant, P. O'Brien, R. J. K. Taylor*, W. P. Unsworth*
Org. Lett. 2016 , 18 , 6256–6259
6. Silica-Supported Silver Nitrate as a Highly Active Dearomatizing Spirocyclization Catalyst: Synergistic Alkyne Activation by Silver Nanoparticles and Silica
A. Clarke, M. J. James, P. O'Brien, R. J. K. Taylor*, W. P. Unsworth*
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2016 , 55 , 13798–13802
5. Selective Synthesis of Six Products from a Single Indolyl α-Diazocarbonyl Precursor
M. J. James, P. O'Brien, R. J. K. Taylor*, W. P. Unsworth*
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2016 , 55 , 9671–9675
4. Catalyst-Driven Scaffold Diversity: Selective Synthesis of Spirocycles, Carbazoles and Quinolines from Indolyl Ynones
J. T. R. Liddon, M. J. James, A. K. Clarke, P. O'Brien, R. J. K. Taylor*, W. P. Unsworth*
Chem. Eur. J. 2016 , 22 , 8777–8780
3. Synthesis of Spirocyclic Indolenines
M. J. James, P. O'Brien, R. J. K. Taylor, W. P. Unsworth*
Chem. Eur. J. 2016 , 22 , 2856–2881
2. Silver(I)-Catalyzed Dearomatization of Alkyne-Tethered Indoles: Divergent Synthesis of Spirocyclic Indolenines and Carbazoles
M. J. James, R. E. Clubley, K. Y. Palate, T. J. Procter, A. C. Wyton, P. O'Brien, R. J. K. Taylor*, W. P. Unsworth*
Org. Lett. 2015 , 17 , 4372–4375
1. Silver(I)- or Copper(II)-Mediated Dearomatization of Aromatic Ynones: Direct Access to Spirocyclic Scaffolds
M. J. James, J. D. Cuthbertson, P. O'Brien, R. J. K. Taylor*, W. P. Unsworth*
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015 , 54 , 7640–7643