Richard Jordan

  • Paul Snowden Russell Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus
  • Websites: Jordan Group
  • Contact: rfjordan@uchicago.edu
    (773) 702-6429
  • Office Location:
    E405, Gordon Center for Integrative Science, 929 E 57th St, Chicago, IL 60637

Research in the Jordan group is focused on synthetic and mechanistic organometallic chemistry. The central theme of this work is the interplay between the structures and reactivity of organometallic compounds, especially in systems that are relevant to catalysis. We design reactive organometallic complexes for use as practical catalysts and synthetic reagents, and as probes of fundamental mechanistic issues in catalysis. We use a wide range of synthetic and spectroscopic methods for the manipulation and characterization of reactive materials, most notably anaerobic synthesis techniques, NMR spectroscopy, molecular modeling and X-ray crystallography. Our current efforts are focused on four major topics: (i) catalytic olefin polymerization, with an emphasis on the development of electronically unsymmetrical catalysts for the copolymerization of ethylene with polar CH2=CHX monomers, (ii) the self-assembly of multinuclear organometallics for olefin polymerization and small molecule activation, (iii) the conversion of CO2 to value-added products, and (iv) the influence of second-sphere functional groups on the behavior of organometallic catalysts.

Rutgers University
B.A.
1975

ARCO Chemical Company
Research Chemist
1976

Princeton University
Ph.D.
1981

University of Wisconsin, Madison
Postdoctoral Research Associate
1983

Washington State University
Assistant Professor and Associate Professor
1988

University of Iowa
Associate Professor and Professor
1999

The University of Chicago,
Professor
2015

The University of Chicago
Chair, Department of Chemistry
2015

The University of Chicago
Paul Snowden Russell Distinguished Service Professor
Present


"Sterically Controlled Self-Assembly of a Robust Multinuclear Palladium Catalyst for Ethylene Polymerization." Liu, Q.; Jordan, R. F. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 6827–6831.


"Ethylene Oligomerization and Polymerization by Palladium(II) Methyl Complexes Supported by Phosphines Bearing a Perchlorinated 10-Vertex closo-Carborane Anion Substituent." Kleinsasser, J. F.; Reinhart, E. D.; Estrada, J.; Jordan, R. F.; Lavallo, V. Organometallics 2018, 37, 4773–4783.


"Multinuclear Palladium Olefin Polymerization Catalysts Based On Self-Assembled Zinc Phosphonate Cages." Liu, Q.; Jordan, R. F. Organometallics 2018, 37, 4664–4674.


"Heterolytic H-H and H-B Bond Cleavage Reactions of {(IPr)Ni(μ-S)} 2 ." Olechnowicz, F.; Hillhouse, G. L.; Cundari, T.; Jordan, R. F. Inorg. Chem. 2017, 56, 9922–9930. 


"Olefin Insertion into a Pd-F Bond. Catalyst Reactivation Following β-F Elimination in Ethylene/Vinyl-fluoride Copolymerization." Wada, S.; Jordan, R. F. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 1820-1824.


"Allosteric Effects in Ethylene Polymerization Catalysis. Enhancement of Performance of Phosphine-Phosphinate and Phosphine-Phosphonate Palladium Alkyl Catalysts by Remote Binding of B(C6F5)3." Johnson, A. M.; Contrella, N. D.; Sampson, J. R.; Zheng, M.; Jordan, R. F. Organometallics 2017, 36, 4990–5002.


"Synthesis and Reactivity of Palladium(II) Alkyl Complexes that Contain Phosphine-cyclopentanesulfonate Ligands." Black, R; Jordan, R. F. Organometallics 2017, 36, 3415–3428.


"(α-Diimine)Ni Complexes that Contain Menthyl Substituents: Synthesis, Conformational Behavior and Olefin Polymerization Catalysis." Zhai, F.; Jordan, R. F. Organometallics 2017, 36, 2784–2799.


"Copolymerization of Ethylene with Acrylate Monomers by Amide-Functionalized α-Diimine Pd Catalysts." Zhai, F.; Solomon, J. B.; Jordan, R. F. Organometallics 2017, 26, 1873-1879.


"Self-Assembled Cage Structures and Ethylene Polymerization Behavior of Palladium Alkyl Complexes that Contain Phosphine-Bis(arenesulfonate) Ligands." Wei, J.; Shen, Z.; Filatov, A. S.; Liu, Q.; Jordan, R. F. Organometallics 2016, 35, 3557-3568.


"Reactivity of (Pyridine-Diimine)Fe Alkyl Complexes with Carbon Dioxide". Lau, K.; Jordan, R. F. Organometallics 2016, 35, 3658-3666.


"Synthesis of Borophosphonate Cage Compounds: Influence of Substituent and Concentration Effects on Product Distribution in Condensation Reactions of Aryl Phosphonic Acids and Boronic Acids." Liu, Q.; Contrella, N. D.; Filatov, A.; Jordan, R. F. Organometallics 2015, 34, 254–262.

Arthur L. Kelly Faculty Prize for Exceptional Service, Univ. of Chicago
2018

Dow Lecturer, University of California, Berkeley
2016

BASF Lecturer, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
2013

Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
2012

Plenary Lecturer, C&CF
2011

Guest Professor, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
2011

Eastman Chemical Lecturer, Univ. of California, Berkeley
2010

Vice Chair and Chair, Gordon Conference on Organometallic Chemistry
2009 - 2010

Lanxess-Therban Lecture, XXIII ICOMC, Rennes, France
2008

Invited Lecturer, Mitsui Symposium on Catalysis, Chiba, Japan
2007

Plenary Lecturer, 39th IDW, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario
2006

Visiting Professor, University of Rennes, Rennes, France
2005

Editorial Advisory Board, Journal of Organometallic Chemistry
2002 - 2008

Humphrey Lecturer, University of Vermont
2002

Frontiers in Chemistry Lectureship, University of Iowa
2002

Frontiers Lecturer, Case Western University
2000

Organizer, Symp. on Advances in Polymer Synthesis, Fall Nat. ACS Mtg.
1999

Akron Polymer Group Lecturer
1998

British Petroleum Lecturer, UK
1998

Chair-Elect and Chair, Organometallic Subdivision, Inorganic Division, ACS
1997 - 1998

Editorial Advisory Board, Journal of Molecular Catalysis
1997

University of Iowa Faculty Scholar Award
1996 - 1998

Board of Directors, The University of Iowa Research Foundation
1995 - 1999

Editorial Advisory Board, Organometallics
1993 - 1995

Frontiers Lecturer, Case Western University
1993

Organizer, Symposium on Chemistry of Electrophilic Metal Centers, Nat. ACS Mtg.
1992

Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow
1989 - 1991

Union Carbide Research Innovation Award
1989 - 1990

American Institute of Chemists Student Award, Rutgers University
1975

Athenaeum Honor Society, Rutgers University
1975