Doctor of Philosophy Chemistry Wayne State University 1981 Bachelor of Science with High Honors Chemistry Denison University 1974

Inorganic

My research interests over the years centered on the development of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques and their application to the study of the structures and properties of main group organometallic compounds, especially organolithium compounds. Organolithium compounds are used commercially in the preparation of pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, and even polymers for truck tires. Without a knowledge of the structures and properties of the compounds, development and optimization of their use is by trial and error. By understanding their properties, their use can be developed in a rational fashion. In fact, we designed and developed several new organolithium compounds which have specific applications to organic synthesis.

In the world of organolithium chemistry there are always exciting new discoveries to be made. It has been a real thrill to discover an entire new class of compounds (lithium hydride/lithium alkoxide mixed aggregates) and have the opportunity to explore their chemistry. Most people outside of science can understand the thrill of exploration of big science (underwater exploration or trips to Antarctica), but finding new compounds never before known by anyone else in the world is just as exciting, just as cutting-edge, and may ultimately have more impact on our day-to-day existence. The synthetic techniques used to make the compounds (including the vacuum line shown on the right) and the NMR techniques we used to study them have much broader use. Therefore synthesizing and studying these compounds also served as powerful training tools for students.

Methyltrimethoxysilane Sol-Gel Polymerization In Acidic Ethanol Solutions Studied by 29Si NMR Spectroscopy H. Dong, M. Lee, R. D. Thomas, Z. Zhang, R. F. Reidy J. Sol.-Gel Sci. Technol, 2003, 5-14 Refereed(Peer reviewed) Journals

α Lithioalkoxysilanes: Applications to Alkene Synthesis T. F. Bates, S. A. Dandekar, J. J. Longlet, R. D. Thomas J. Organometal. Chem., 2001, 625 Refereed(Peer reviewed) Journals

Regiospecific Synthesis of alpha Lithiated Alkoxysilanes T. F. Bates, S. A. Dandekar, J. J. Longlet, K. A. Wood, R. D. Thomas J. Organometal. Chem., 2000, 595, 87-92 Refereed(Peer reviewed) Journals

"Organolithiums" in World of Chemistry, R. V. Young, S. Sessine, eds. R. D. Thomas Gale Group, Detroit, 2000, 811 Encyclopedia Article

New Dodecameric n Propyllithium/Lithium n Propoxide Mixed Aggregate. Evidence for the First Cuboctahedral Lithium Aggregate R. D. Thomas and H. Huang J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1999, 121, 11239-11240

X Ray Structural Analysis of a Novel Mixed Lithiumhydride/Lithium tert Butoxide Superaggregate: (LiH)17●(LiOtBu)16 D. Hoffmann, T. Kottke, R. J. Lagow, and R. D. Thomas Angew. Chem., 1998, 37, 1537-1539 Refereed(Peer reviewed) Journals

Isolation and Structure Analysis of Neohexyllithium Generated by Ether Cleavage: Primary and Secondary Coordination in Alkyllithium Aggregates T. Kottke, R. J. Lagow, D. Hoffmann, and R. D. Thomas Organometallics, 1997, 16, 789-792 Refereed(Peer reviewed) Journals

Decomposition of tert Butyllithium/Lithium tert Butoxide Mixed Aggregates: NMR Evidence for the Formation of Novel Mixed Lithium Hydride/Lithium tert Butoxide Aggregates G. T. DeLong, D. Hoffmann, H. D. Nguyen and R. D. Thomas J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1997, 119, 11998-11999 Refereed(Peer reviewed) Journals

Solution Structures of tert Butyllithium/Lithium tert Butoxide Mixed Aggregates. Observation of a Non Random Fluxional Exchange Process in Hexameric Organolithium Compounds G. T. DeLong, D. K. Pannell, M. T. Clarke, and R. D. Thomas J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1993, 115, 7013-7014 Refereed(Peer reviewed) Journals

A Scientific Adventure: Six Weeks on an Icebreaker in Antarctica R. D. Thomas Southwest Retort, 1992, 46, Part 1, No. 1, 5 7. Part 2, No. 2, 5 6. Part 3, No. 3, 5-7 Non Refereed(Non-peer reviewed)Journals