B.S., University of California, Berkeley; Ph.D., UCLA; NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Columbia University

Organic, bioorganic, and bioinorganic chemistry; chiral materials; nanoscience; molecular imaging; supramolecular chemistry

Dr. James W. Canary's group uses molecular modeling and organic synthesis to engineer materials with designed properties at the interface between biomedical chemistry and nanoscience. One effort in the group is the application of stereochemistry to the development of materials for molecular electronics and nanotechnology . We design and synthesize molecules containing "triggers" that induce shape changes and optical responses. Such behavior might be useful in the future development of optical display or electronic technology. A second area of research involves imaging. We design of molecules for fluorescent sensing metal ions of importance to neurobiology. Other imaging projects are underway in collaboration with scientists at the NYU School of Medicine. In collaboration with Ned Seeman's group, we develop methods for DNA- directed assembly of organic polymers. The goal is to harness the exquisite structural control of DNA nanotechnology for the synthesis of organic materials and devices.

Zhang, Y.; Soon, P.C.; Jerschow, A.; Canary, J.W. “Long-Lived 1H Nuclear Spin Singlet in Dimethyl Maleate Revealed by Addition of Thiols,” Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. Engl., in press. DOI

Isaacman, S.; Buckley, M.; Wang, X.; Wang, E.Y.; Liebes, L.; Canary, J.W. “Targeted Amplification of Delivery to Cell Surface Receptors by Dendrimer Self-Assembly,” Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett., in press. DOI

Soon, P.C.; Xu, X.; Zhang, B.; Gruppi, F.; Canary, J.W.; Jerschow, A. “Hyperpolarization of Amino Acid Precursors to Neurotransmitters with Parahydrogen Induced Polarization,” ChemComm, 2013, 49, 5304-6. DOI

Ye, M.; Guillaume, J.; Liu, Y.; Sha, R.; Wang, R.; Seeman, N.C.; Canary, J.W. “Site-Specific Inter-Strand Crosslinks of DNA Duplexes,” Chem. Sci., 2013, 4, 1319-29. DOI

Royzen, M.; Canary, J.W. “Structural Parameters in 8-Hydroxyquinoline Tripodal Ligand Complexes in Zinc(II) affect Fluorescence Quantum Yield,” Polyhedron, 2013, 58, 85-91. DOI.

Wang, X.; Canary, J.W. “A Co-Enzyme Click Reaction: Live Cell Labeling by HydrazoneFormation with Protein-Pyridoxal-5?-Phosphoramide,” Bioconj. Chem., 2012,23, 2329-34. DOI

Wang, X.; Bergenfeld, I.; Arora, P.A.; Canary, J.W. “Reversible Redox-Reconfiguration of Secondary Structures in a Designed Peptide,” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl., 2012,51, 12099-01. DOI

Gruppi, F.; Liang, J.; Bartelle, B.B.; Royzen, M.; Turnbull, D.H.; Canary, J.W. “Supramolecular Metal Displacement allows On-Fluorescence Analysis of Manganese(II) in Living Cells,” ChemComm, 2012, 87, 10778-80. DOI

Joyce, L.; Canary, J.W.; Anslyn, E.V. “Enantio- and Chemoselective Differentiation of Protected α-Amino Acids and β-Homoamino Acids with a Single Copper(II) Host,” Chem. Eur. J. 2012, 18, 8064-9. DOI

Gruppi, F.; Xu, X.; Zhang, B.; Tang, J.A.; Jerschow, A.; Canary, J.W. “Peptide Hydrogenation and Labeling with para-H2,” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2012, 51, 11787-90. DOI

Mortezaei, S.; Caterineu, N.; Canary, J.W. “A Redox-Reconfigurable, Ambidextrous Asymmetric Catalyst,” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2012, 134, 8504-7. DOI

Liu, Y.; Wang, R.; Ding, L.; Sha, R.; Seeman, N.C.; Canary, J.W. “Templated Synthesis of Nylon Nucleic Acids and Characterization by Nuclease Digestion,” Chem. Sci., 2012, 3, 1930-1937. DOI

Dai, Z.; Mortezaei, S.; Canary, J.W. “Chiroptical Sensors,” in Comprehensive Chirality, Yamamoto, H.; Carreira, E., Eds. Elsevier, 2012, vol. 8, Separations and Analysis, G. Trantor, Ed. 600-624.

Joyce, L.; Maynor, M.; Dragna, J.; da Cruz, G.; Lynch, V.; Canary, J.W.; Anslyn, E.V. “A Simple Method for the Determination of Enantiomeric Excess and Identity of Chiral Carboxylic Acids,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133 13746–13752. Corr. 2012, 134, 5004. DOI

Dai, Z.; Canary, J.W. “Dynamic Stereochemistry and Chiroptical Spectroscopy of Metallo-organic Compounds,” in Advances in Chiroptical Methods, vol. 2. Berova, N.D.; Polavarapu, P; Nakanishi, K.; Woody, R., eds. John Wiley & Sons, 2012.

Ornelas, C.; Lodescar, R.; Durandin, A.; Canary, J.W.; Pennell, R.; Liebes, L.F.; Geacintov, N.; Weck, M. “Combining Amino-Cyanine Dyes with Polyamide Dendrons: A Promising Strategy for Imaging in the Near-Infrared Region,” Eur. J. Chem., 2011, 17, 3619 – 3629. DOI

Tang, J.A.; Gruppi, F.; Fleysher, R.; Sodickson, D.K.; Canary, J.W.; Jerschow, A. “Extended Para-Hydrogenation Monitored by NMR Spectroscopy,” ChemComm 2011, 47, 958-60. DOI

Liang, J.; Canary, J.W. “A Stereodynamic Tripodal Ligand with Three Different Coordinating Arms: Synthesis and Zinc(II), Copper(I) Complexation Study,” Chirality 2011, 23, 24-33. DOI

Canary, J.W.; Mortezaei, S.; Liang, J. “Redox-Reconfigurable Tripodal Coordination Complexes: Stereodynamic Molecular Switches",” ChemComm 2010, 46, 5850-60, DOI (Feature article).

Liang, J.; Canary, J.W. “Discrimination between Hard Metals with Soft Ligand Donor Atoms: An On-Fluorescence Probe for Manganese(II),” Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. Engl. 2010, 49, 7710-3.DOI