ÿþ<html> <head><meta http-equiv="Keywords" content="Brooklyn College, Chemistry department, Alexander Greer, organic chemistry and photochemistry, Methods in Photochemistry and Photosensitization, Organic Synthesis, Drug Design, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Liquid Chromatography, Laser Spectroscopycopy, Device Development, Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS) Techniques, Computational Methods, singlet oxygen, sulfur"> <title>BC Chemistry :: Alexander Greer</title> <style> body, td { font-size: 11pt; font-family: Verdana; } h3, h5 { color: #666666; } ol li, ul li { padding-bottom: 10px; font-size: 9pt; } .menu { width: 950px; border: 1px solid #666; margin-top: 20px; } .menu td { background: #666; color: white; text-align: center; padding: 5px 0; } .menu td a { color: white; text-decoration: none; } </style> </head> <body> <table width="760"> <tr> <td valign="top" style="padding-right:20px;"><img src="images/alexander_small.jpg" width="250" border="0" alt=""></td> <td valign="top"> <h3>Alexander Greer</h3> <b>Professor</b>, Department of Chemistry<br> The City University of New York, Brooklyn College <p><b>Deputy Executive Officer</b>, Department of Chemistry<br> The Graduate Center, CUNY, 2004-2007 <p><b>Co-chair</b>: <a href="http://concernedscientists.org/"><i>Committee of Concerned Scientists</i></a> <p><b>Associate Editor</b>: <a href="http://www.pol-us.net/ASP_Home/index.html"><i>Photochemistry and Photobiology</i></a> <p><b>Board of Editors</b>: <a href="http://www.springerlink.com/content/105339/"><i>Structural Chemistry</i></a> <p><b>Guest Editor</b>: <i>Tetrahedron</i> Symposium-in-Print, Organic Chemistry of Singlet Oxygen; <i>Journal of Sulfur Chemistry</i> Special Issue, Extreme Sulfur Chemistry </td> </tr> </table> <table class="menu"> <tr> <td><a href="#contact">CONTACT</a></td> <td><a href="#research">RESEARCH</a></td> <td><a href="#publications">PUBLICATIONS</a></td> <td><a href="http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/chem/agreer/members.html">GROUP MEMBERS</a></td> <td><a href="http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/chem/agreer/Human Rights Page.htm">HUMAN RIGHTS</a></td> </tr> </table> <h5>CONTACT<a name="contact"></a></h5> Department of Chemistry<br> Graduate Center and CUNY<br> Brooklyn College<br> Brooklyn, New York 11210 <p><b>Phone:</b> 718-951-5000 ext. 2830<br> <b>Fax:</b> 718-951-4607<br> <b>Email:</b> <a href="mailto:agreer@brooklyn.cuny.edu">agreer@brooklyn.cuny.edu</a> <h5>RESEARCH INTERESTS<a name="research"></a></h5> <table width="950"> <tr> <td style="text-align:justify;"> Our group is interested in fundamental aspects of organic chemistry and photochemistry. Factors that control reactions of oxygen and sulfur species are of interest. We are involved in research of singlet molecular oxygen, thiozone, and other reactive and cytotoxic agents. We embrace multiple technologies, even engineering; one project involves fiber optic-based devices for the targeted delivery of cytotoxic singlet oxygen (<b>Figure</b>) for application in diseases, such as brain tumors where high precision is needed in the treatment. Other molecules used in our studies (polysulfanes) exhibit cytotoxic properties that must have taken eons to evolve, formed by marine invertebrates to deter predators. Our synthetic chemistry aims to create polysulfanes with increased anti-tumor activity over those found in nature. Computations are used to try to deepen our understanding of experiments, reaction mechanisms are probed with <i>ab initio</i> and density functional theory. Our research is currently supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the NIH. <table width="100%" style="margin:15px 0"> <tr> <td align="center"><b>A</b></td> <td align="center"><b>B</b></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"><img src="images/website pic2.jpg" width="400" border="0" alt=""></td> <td align="center"><img src="FirstPage_files/revised TOC graphic b.JPG" width="400" border="0" alt=""></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>Figure</b>. Fiber optic photoexcitation of a sensitizer on a porous surface followed by emergence of singlet oxygen through the tip (<b>A</b>), and photosensitizer release device (<b>B</b>). <h5>LABORATORY ROTATIONS</h5> Techniques to be learned upon doing lab rotations may include: Methods in Photochemistry and Photosensitization, Organic Synthesis, and Drug Design; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS) Techniques, Laser Spectroscopy and Device Development, and Computational Methods. <h5>CURRENT GROUP 2011<a name="group members"></a></h5> <p>Dr. David Aebisher, Dr. Dorota Bartusik, Dr. Stanley Kimani, Dr. Nahed Sawwan (Postdocs); Ashwini Ghogare, Goutam Ghosh and Mihaela Minnis (Ph.D. students); Leda Lee (Master's Student); Benjamin Rudshteyn and Chenzira Raphael (Undergraduate students). <p><b>PUBLICATIONS 2006 - present<a name="publications"></a></b> <p><b>[(a) Ph.D. student; (b) MS student; (c) undergraduate student at Brooklyn College] </b> <ol> <li>D. Bartusik; D. Aebisher; B. Ghafari; A. M. Lyons; A. Greer  <a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/Bartusik la204583.pdf">Generating Singlet Oxygen Bubbles: A New Mechanism for Gas-Liquid Oxidations in Water</a> <i>Langmuir</i> <b>2012</b>, <em>28</em>, 3053-3060. <li>Á. Castillo;<sup>(a)</sup> L. Lee;<sup>(b)</sup> A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2012 Alvaro JPOC.pdf">Encapsulation and Convex-face Thiozonolysis of Triatomic Sulfur (S<sub>3</sub>) with Carbon Nanotubes</a>" <i>J. Phys. Org. Chem.</i> <b>2012</b><em>, 25</em>, 42-49. <li>A. Greer "<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.201100291">Chemistry Students and Human Rights</a>" <i>Chemistry and Biodiversity</i> <b>2011</b><em>, 8</em>, 2158-2161. <li>B. I. Kruft<sup>(a)</sup>; A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2011 Bonnie's review.pdf">Photosensitization Reactions <i>In Vitro</i> and <i>In Vivo</i></a>" <i>Photochem. Photobiol.</i> <b>2011</b><em>, 87</em>, 1204-1213. <li>A. Mahendran<sup>(a)</sup>; Y. Kopkalli; G. Ghosh<sup>(a)</sup>; A. Ghogare<sup>(a)</sup>; M. Minnis<sup>(a)</sup>; B. I. Kruft<sup>(a)</sup>; M. Zamadar<sup>(a)</sup>; D. Aebisher; L. Davenport; A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2011 Mahendran's paper.pdf">A Hand-held Fiber-optic Implement for the Site-specific Delivery of Photosensitizer and Singlet Oxygen</a>" <i>Photochem. Photobiol.</i> <b>2011,</b><em> 87</em>, 1330-1337. <li>M. Zamadar<sup>(a)</sup>; G. Ghosh<sup>(a)</sup>; A. Mahendran<sup>(a)</sup>; M. Minnis<sup>(a)</sup>; B. I. Kruft<sup>(a)</sup>; A. Ghogare<sup>(a)</sup>; D. Aebisher; A. Greer "<a href="FirstPage_files/Zamadar%20ja200840p.pdf">Photosensitizer Drug Delivery via an Optical Fiber</a>" <i>J. Am. Chem. Soc.</i> <b>2011</b>, <i>133</i>, 7882-7891. <li>S. W. Slayden; A. Greer; J. F. Liebman "<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9780470682531.pat0516/abstract">Peroxynitrogen: A Study of Nitrogen/Oxygen Heterocycles with N-O and O-O or N-O-O Bonding</a>" In: The Chemistry of Functional Groups (Patai series). The Chemistry of Hydroxylamines, Oximes and Hydroxamic Acids; Z. Rappoport; J. F. Liebman; Eds.; Vol 2, Wiley: Chichester (<b>2011</b>), pp 549-576. <li>J. M. Motto; A. Castillo;<sup>(a)</sup> A. Greer; L. K. Montemayer; E. E. Sheepwash; A. L. Schwan "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2011 tetrahedron Schwan.pdf">Synthetic Scope, Computational Chemistry and Mechanism of the Base Induced 5-Endo Cyclizations of Benzyl Alkynyl Sulfides</a>" <i>Tetrahedron</i> <b>2011</b>, <i>67</i>, 1002-1010. <li> D. Aebisher; M. Zamadar<sup>(a)</sup>; A. Mahendran<sup>(a)</sup>; G. Ghosh<sup>(a)</sup>; C. McEntee; A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2010Photochem.Photobiol.pdf">Fiber-optic Singlet Oxygen [<sup>1</sup>O<sub>2</sub> (<sup>1</sup>"<sub>g</sub>)] Generator Device Serving as a Point Selective Sterilizer</a>" <i>Photochem. Photobiol.</i> <b>2010</b>, <i>86</i>, 890-894. <li> M. Zamadar<sup>(a)</sup>; A. Greer "<a href="http://www.wiley-vch.de/publish/en/books/bySubjectCH00/newTitles200912/3-527-32391-0/?sID=097505a905f30d04ed988224e5506f50">Singlet Oxygen as a Reagent in Organic Synthesis</a>" In Handbook of Synthetic Photochemistry; Albini; A.; Fagnoni; M.; Eds.; Wiley-VCH: Weinheim (<b>2010</b>), pp. 353-386. <li> A. Mahendran<sup>(a)</sup>; A. Vuong<sup>(c)</sup>; D. Aebisher; Y. Gong; R. Bittman; G. Arthur; A. Kawamura; A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2010 joc Mahen.pdf">Synthesis, Characterization, Mechanism of Decomposition, and Antiproliferative Activity of a Class of PEGylated Benzopolysulfanes Structurally Similar to the Natural Product Varacin</a>" <i>J. Org. Chem.</i> <b>2010</b>, <i>75</i>, 5549-5557. <li> M. Zamadar<sup>(a)</sup>; D. Aebisher; A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2009 prototype fiber jp907945c.pdf">Singlet Oxygen Delivery Though the Porous Cap of a Hollow-Core Fiber Optic Device</a>" <i>J. Phys. Chem. B</i> <b>2009</b>, <i>113</i>, 15803-15806. <li> A. Castillo<sup>(a)</sup>; A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2009 Jump Rope.pdf">Theoretical Studies of a Singlet Oxygen-Releasing Dioxapaddlane (1,4-Diicosa naphthalene-1,4-endoperoxide)</a>" <i>Struct. Chem.</i> <b>2009</b>, <i>30</i>, 399-407. <li> M. L. Raber; A. Castillo<sup>(a)</sup>; A. Greer; C. A. Townsend "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2009 ChemBioChem.pdf">A Conserved Lysine in beta-Lactam Synthetase Assists Ring Cyclization: Implications for Clavam and Carbapenem Biosynthesis</a>" <i>ChemBioChem</i> <b>2009</b>, <i>10</i>, 2904-2912. <li>E. M. Greer; D. Aebisher; A. Greer; R. Bentley "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2008 bentley jo7018416.pdf">Computational Studies of the Tropone Natural Products, Thiotropocin, Tropodithietic acid, and Troposulfenin. Significance of Thiocarbonyl-enol Tautomerism</a>" <i>J. Org. Chem.</i> <b>2008</b>, <i>73</i>, 280-283. <li>A. Greer; J. F. Liebman "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2008 Struct Chem azo compds.pdf">Paradigms and Paradoxes: Energetics of the Oxidative Cleavage of Azo Compounds</a>" <i>Struct. Chem.</i> <b>2008</b>, <i>19</i>, 817-818. <li>J. Giaimuccio; M. Zamadar<sup>(a)</sup>; D. Aebisher; G. J. Meyer; A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2008 JPCB jp807556x.pdf">Singlet Oxygen Chemistry in Water. 2. Photophysics of Quenching of a Photosensitizer by O2 at the Water/Porous Glass Interface.</a>" <i>J. Phys. Chem. B</i> <b>2008</b>, <i>112</i>, 15646 15650. <li>A. Castillo<sup>(a)</sup>; J. F. Liebman; A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2008 J Sulfur Chem Alvaro.pdf">Quinones, Monoradicals and Diradicals From 3- and 4-Mercaptocatechol, and 3,4-Bismercaptocatechol: A Computational Study of a Plausibly Biomimetic Reaction</a>" <i>J. Sulfur Chem.</i> <b>2008</b>, <i>29</i>, 445-457. <li>D. Aebisher; A. Greer; Editors. Special Issue: "<a href="http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=g794430593">Extreme Sulfur Chemistry</a>" [In: <i>J. Sulfur Chem.</i> <b>2008</b>; <i>29</i>, 241-241]. <li>D. Aebisher; A. Greer; preface. "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2008 J.Sul.Chem.Special Issue Preface.pdf">Extreme Sulfur Chemistry</a>" [In: <i>J. Sulfur Chem.</i> <b>2008</b>; <i>29</i>, 241-241]. <li>D. Aebisher; N. S. Azar<sup>(b)</sup>; M. Zamadar<sup>(a)</sup>; H. D. Gafney; N. Gandra; R. Gao; A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2008 JPCB jp709829z.pdf">Singlet Oxygen Chemistry in Water. A Porous Vycor Glass-Supported Photosensitizer</a>" <i>J. Phys. Chem. B</i> <b>2008</b>, <i>112</i>, 1913-1917. <li>D. Aebisher; E. M. Brzostowska<sup>(a)</sup>; N. Sawwan<sup>(a)</sup>; R. Ovalle; A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2007 polysulfur np070108t.pdf">Implications for the Existence of a Heptasulfur Linkage in Natural o-Benzopolysulfanes</a>" <i>J. Nat. Prod.</i> <b>2007</b>, <i>70</i>, 1492-1494. <li>A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2007 Nature NV.pdf">Organic Chemistry: Molecular Crosstalk</a>" Nature <b>2007</b>, 447, 273-274. <li>E. M. Brzostowska<sup>(a)</sup>; M. Paulynice<sup>(c)</sup>; R. Bentley, A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2007 Chem Res Toxicol.pdf">Planar Chirality Due to a Polysulfur Ring in Natural Pentathiepin Cytotoxins. Implications of Planar Chirality for Enantiospecific Biosynthesis and Toxicity</a>" <i>Chem. Res. Toxicol.</i> <b>2007</b>, <i>20</i>, 1046-1052. <li>D. Aebisher; E. M. Brzostowska<sup>(a)</sup>; A. Mahendran<sup>(a)</sup>; A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2007 J. Org. Chem. biomimetic.pdf">Regioselective (Biomimetic) Synthesis of a Pentasulfane From Ortho-benzoquinone</a>" <i>J. Org. Chem.</i> <b>2007</b>, <i>72</i>, 2951-2955. <li>A. T. Frank<sup>(c)</sup>; N. S. Farina<sup>(b)</sup>; N. Sawwan<sup>(a)</sup>; O. R. Wauchope<sup>(c)</sup>; M. Qi<sup>(b)</sup>; E. M. Brzostowska<sup>(a)</sup>; W. Chan<sup>(c)</sup>; F. W. Grasso; P. Haberfield; A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2007 Mol Divers.pdf">Natural Macromolecules Have a Possible Limited Structural Diversity</a>" <i>Molecular Diversity </i><b>2007</b>, <i>11</i>, 115-118. <li>N. Sawwan<sup>(a)</sup>; A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2007 Chem. Rev. cr0400717.pdf">Rather Exotic Types of Cyclic Peroxides: Heteroatom Dioxiranes</a>" <i>Chemical Reviews</i> <b>2007</b>, <i>107</i>, 3247-3285. <li>A. T. Frank<sup>(c)</sup>; A. Adenike<sup>(c)</sup>; D. Aebisher; A. Greer; R. Gao; J. F. Liebman "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2007 Struct Chem indigo.pdf">Paradigms and Paradoxes: Energetics of the Oxidative Cleavage of Indigo</a>" <i>Struct. Chem.</i> <b>2007</b>, <i>18</i>, 71-74. <li>O. R. Wauchope<sup>(c)</sup>; S. Shakya<sup>(b)</sup>; N. Sawwan<sup>(a)</sup>; J. F. Liebman; A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2007 J. Sulfur. Chem.pdf">Photocleavage of Plasmid DNA by Dibenzothiophene S-oxide Under Anaerobic Conditions</a>" <i>J. Sulfur Chem.</i> <b>2007</b>, <i>28</i>, 11-17. <li>A. Greer; preface. "<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=PublicationURL&_tockey=#TOC#5289#2006#999379953#636127#FLA#&_cdi=5289&_pubType=J&view=c&_auth=y&_acct=C000039280&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=699479&md5=690121487c9971dcc972ecc9feb7aab3">Organic Chemistry of Singlet Oxygen</a>" [In: <i>Tetrahedron</i> <b>2006</b>; <i>62</i>, 10603-10776]. <li>A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2006 Acc Chem Res .pdf">Christopher Foote's Discovery of the Role of Singlet Oxygen [<sup>1</sup>O<sub>2</sub> (<sup>1</sup>"<sub>g</sub>)] in Photosensitized Oxidation Reactions</a>" <i>Acc. Chem. Res.</i> <b>2006</b>, <i>39</i>, 797-804. <li>A. Greer; O. R. Wauchope<sup>(c)</sup>; N. S. Farina<sup>(b)</sup>; P. Haberfield; J. F. Liebman "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2006 BLS bioact Struct Chem.pdf">Paradigms and Paradoxes: Mechanisms for Possible Enhanced Biological Activity of Bilaterally Symmetrical Chemicals</a>" <i>Struct. Chem.</i> <b>2006</b>, <i>17</i>, 347-350. <li>N. Sawwan<sup>(a)</sup>; A. Greer "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2006 bisdioxirane jo060694f.pdf">The Generation of Mono- and Bis-dioxiranes from 2,3-Butanedione</a>" <i>J. Org. Chem.</i> <b>2006</b>, <i>71</i>, 5796-5799. <li>N. Gandra; Aaron T. Frank<sup>(c)</sup>; O. Le Gendre<sup>(a)</sup>; N. Sawwan<sup>(a)</sup>; D. Aebisher; J. F. Liebman; K. N. Houk; A. Greer; R. Gao "<a href="Alec's pub'ed papers/2006 IL photoox. Tetrahedron 62,10771.pdf">Possible Singlet Oxygen Generation from the Photolysis of Indigo Dyes in Methanol, DMSO, Water, and Ionic Liquid, 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate</a>" <i>Tetrahedron</i> <b>2006</b>, <i>62</i>, 10771-10776. </ol> </td> </tr> </table> <p><b><a href="Page2.html">PUBLICATIONS PAGE 2</a></b> <p><b>Accompanying website</b><br> <a href="http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/pub/Faculty_Details5.jsp?faculty=576">http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/pub/Faculty_Details5.jsp?faculty=576</a> <h5>ACADEMIC RECORD</h5> <p>Assistant Professor (1999-2003), Associate Professor (2004-2007), Professor (2008-present) at the Graduate Center and CUNY Brooklyn College. </body> </html>