Mark Stradiotto

Harry Shirreff Prize for Excellence in Research in Chemistry,
FoS Killam Professor ('16)
Professor, Chemistry

Education
1999, PhD, McMaster University
1995, BSc, McMaster University

Affiliations 

• Journal of the American Chemistry Society, Reviewer
• Organometallics, Reviewer
• Inorganic Chemistry, Reviewer
• Chemical Communications, Reviewer
• Chemistry: A European Journal, Reviewer
• Member American Chemistry Society
• Canadian Society for Chemistry, Member
• Institute for Research in Materials, Member

Honours and awards

• 2006, Dalhousie Innovation Award:   
  Dalhousie University, the Office of Economic Development for Nova Scotia, the IWK Health Centre, and the Capital District Health Authority
  for outstanding achievement in research with commercial potential
• 2005, 2002, “Teacher of the Year” Award, Dalhousie University Undergraduate Chemistry Society, Dalhousie University
• 2005, Dalhousie University Killam Prize for Research Excellence, Supported by the Killam Foundation and Dalhousie University
  in recognition of outstanding independent research productivity
• 2003, Canadian National Committee for IUPAC Travel Award, Supported by Merck Frosst Canada Inc., Bio-Mega Boehringer Ingelheim Ltd.,
  and the Gendron Fund in recognition of outstanding achievement in independent research

Publications
41 refereed publications; 36 conference and other presentations; and two patents  

Website
Link to his website

E-mail: Dr. Mark Stradiotto

Metals in transition

Research efforts in the Stradiotto group are directed toward developing new classes of transition metal complexes that exhibit interesting and unusual reactivity patterns with E-H bonds (E = main group element), including the otherwise unreactive C-H ?-bonds in hydrocarbons, with the ultimate goal of incorporating such reactivity into synthetically useful stoichiometric and/or catalytic substrate transformations. In this context, we are pursuing two main research initiatives, both of which combine fundamental and applied aspects:

(1) the development of neutral, cationic, and zwitterionic (formally charge-separated) transition metal complexes supported by donor-substituted indene and indenide ligands;

(2) the design and construction of new catalyst complexes supported by planar-chiral metalloligands, for use in mediating asymmetric E-H addition reactions that are of relevance to the pharmaceutical industry.

Central themes that link these programs include the establishment of innovative ligation strategies for use in constructing suitably reactive transition metal complexes, the evaluation of structure-activity relationships including mechanistic studies, and the development of entirely new and synthetically useful metal-mediated transformations. See Highlights of Selected Contributions from the Stradiotto Group, below for project details.

As of January 2007, my research group is comprised of one M.Sc. student and three Ph.D. students.