RESEARCH AREAS

Thomas Rauchfuss

Thomas Rauchfuss Professor University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign P: 217-333-7355 E: rauchfuz@illinois.edu Rauchfuss Group B.S., University of Puget Sound, 1971; Ph.D., Washington State University, 1975

Biographical Sketch

Thomas B. Rauchfuss is Lycan Professor of Chemical Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  He was a research fellow at the Australian National University until 1978, and has been at Illinois since then.  Rauchfuss has published one book and over 250 papers. 

Research Statement

A major interest for the Rauchfuss group is environmentally-motivated organometallic chemistry. The group is interested in fundamental studies leading to clean fuels.  One aspect of this research is the elucidation of nature's methods for making H2. We simulate a range of structural and functional features of the hydrogenases.  Other interests include the role of metals in nitrogen fixation, carbonylation enzymes, and methanogenesis.  A long term interest is in catalysts for removing sulfur from fossil fuels, focusing on mechanisms of C—S bond cleavage.  The Rauchfuss group has also contributed to the reduction of O2 by metal hydrides.

Publications

• “Diiron Dithiolato Carbonyls Related to HoxCO State of [FeFe]-Hydrogenase,” A. K. Justice, M. A. Nilges, T. B. Rauchfuss, S. R. Wilson, L. De Gioia, and G. Zampella,, J. Am Chem. Soc., 130 (2008).
• “Redox-Switched Oxidation of Dihydrogen using a Non-innocent Ligand,” M. Ringenberg,  S. L. Kokatam, Z. Heiden, and T. B. Rauchfuss, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 130, 788-789 (2008).
• “Homogeneous Catalytic Hydrogenation of Dioxygen using Transfer Hydrogenation Catalysts,” Z. M. Heiden and T. B. Rauchfuss, J. Am. Chem. Soc.,129, 14303-14310 (2007).

Most Significant Honors & Awards

• Fellow, Sloan Foundation
• Fellow, Dreyfus Foundation
• Fellow, Guggenheim Foundation
• Fellow, Humboldt Foundations
• ACS Award in Inorganic Chemistry, 2002