Ian Tonks

Ian Tonks
Associate Professor, Department of ChemistryContact
Kolthoff Hall Room 568A 225 Pleasant Street SeMinneapolis, MN 55455
Education
B.A. Columbia University, 2006 (Ged Parkin)
Ph.D. California Institute of Technology, 2011 (John Bercaw)
Post Doctorate University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2012 (Clark Landis)
Inorganic & Organometallic Chemistry: organometallic synthesis and catalysis
Organic Chemistry: organometallic synthesis and catalysis
Polymer Chemistry: polymer Synthesis
Environmental & Green Chemistry: CO2 conversion
Energy & Catalysis
Research in the Tonks group is focused on designing new and practical organometallic catalytic transformations for the atom-economical synthesis of complex chemicals from simple feedstocks. We currently have three major research interests:
- Using early transition metal catalysts for new redox reactions, and understanding how to access early transition metal redox manifolds.
- Investigating cooperative effects in olefin polymerization toward new reactions such as CO2/ethylene copolymerization.
- Exploring fundamental inorganic syntheses involving multimetallic and other potentially redox noninnocent regimes.
Our work involves a significant amount of organic, organometallic and inorganic synthesis, as well as detailed mechanistic studies. We regularly collaborate with theorists, organic chemists, and polymer chemists, with an eye toward translating our chemistry into practical, useful protocols.
Honors and Awards
Department of Energy Early Career Research Program award, 2019
American Chemical Society (ACS) Organometallics Distinguished Author Award, 2019
University of Minnesota McKnight Land-Grant Professorship, 2018-2020
Thieme Chemistry Journal Award, 2018
Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship in Chemistry, 2017
National Institutes of Health Outstanding Investigator Award (MIRA-Maximizing Investigators' Research Award), 2016
American Chemical Society new investigator program grant, 2014
Mailing Address
Ian Tonks
University of Minnesota
Department of Chemistry
B-17, 139 Smith Hall, 207 Pleasant St SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0431