Kersey Black

Professor of Chemistry

Email: kblack@kecksci.claremont.edu
Office: Keck Science Center 230
Phone: 909-607-3091

Educational Background

B.S., San Diego State University
Ph.D., University of Oregon
Postdoctoral Fellow of the Swiss National Science Foundation, Lausanne, Switzerland

Courses Taught

Chem AISS, 14, 15, 116, 117, 68, 69, 126, 134

Research Interests

Physical organic chemistry, with an emphasis on computational approaches to understanding organic reaction mechanisms.

Thesis Topics

Molecular modeling as a way of understanding the mechanism of chemical processes with a particular focus on thermally induced rearrangements of organic molecules.

Selected Publications

1. Black, KA; Leach, AG; Kalani, M. YS; Houk, KN. (2004). The Antibody-Catalyzed Oxy-Cope Rearrangement: Mechanism and Origins of Catalysis and Stereoselectivity from DFT Quantum Mechanics and Flexible Docking. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126: 9695-9708.
2. Black, KA; Wilsey, S; Houk, KN. (2003). Dissociative and Associative Mechanisms of Cope Rearrangements of Fluorinated 1,5-Hexadienes and 2,2′-Bis-methylenecyclopentanes. J. Am. Chem. Soc.  125: 6715-6724.
3. Black, KA; Wilsey, S; Houk, KN. (1998). Alkynes, Allenes, and Alkenes in [3,3]-Sigmatropy: Functional Diversity and Kinetic Monotony. A Theoretical Analysis. J. Am. Chem. Soc.  120: 5622-5627.
4. Houk, KN; Beno, BR, Maja, N; Black, KA; Yoo, HY; Wilsey, S; Lee, JK. (1997). Exploration of Pericyclic Reaction Transition Structures with Quantum Mechanical Methods: Competing Concerted and Stepwise Mechanisms. J. Mol. Structure (Theochem.) 398-399: 169-179.
5. Wiest, OG; Houk, KN; Black, KA; Thomas, B. (1995). Secondary Kinetic Isotope Effects of Diastereotopic Protons in Pericyclic Reactions: A New Mechanistic Probe. J. Am. Chem. Soc.   117: 8594-8599.
6. Wiest, OG; Black, KA; Houk, KN (1994). Density Functional Theory Isotope Effects and Activation Energies for the Cope and Claisen Rearrangements. J. Am. Chem. Soc.   116: 10336-10337.
7. Black, KA (1993). What To Do When You Stop Lecturing. J. Chem. Educ. 69: 140-146.
8. Houk, KN; Gustafson, SM; Black, KA. (1992). Theoretical Secondary Kinetic Isotope Effects and the Interpretation of Transition State Geometries. I. The Cope Rearrangement. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 114: 8565-8572.
9. Black, KA (1990). Flow Chart Determination of Isomeric Relationships. J. Chem. Educ. 67: 141-142.
10. Black, KA (1990). Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrum Simulator. J. Chem. Educ.: Software IIc: 1.
11. Black, KA (1989). Molecular Display (program #QMAC011). Quantum Chemistry Program Exchange Bulletin 9: 105.
12. Black, KA; Vogel, P. (1986). Regioselectivity of Electrophilic Additions to 7 Oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptenes Controlled by Remote Substituents. Arenesulfonyl Substituted 7-Oxabicyclo[2.2.l]heptenes as Stereo- and Regioselective Chiral Dienophilies. Helv. Chim. Acta.   51: 5341-5348.
13. Black, KA; Vogel, P. (1984). Optical Resolution of 7-Oxabicyclo[2.2.l]hept-2-ene Derivatives. Diastereoselectivity in the Formation of Cyanohydrin-Brucine Complexes. Helv. Chim. Acta. 67: 1612-1615.
14. Baldwin, JE; Black, KA (1984). Complete Kinetic Analysis of Thermal Stereomutations Among the Eight, 2,3-Dideuterio-2-methoxymethylspiro-[cyclopropane-l,l’-indenes]. J. Am. Chem. Soc.   06: l029-1040.
15. Baldwin, JE; Black, KA (1983). Stereoselective Preparation of trans-2,3-Dideuterio-2-en-l-ol. J. Org. Chem. 48: 2778-2779.