Dina C. Merrer
Department
Chemistry
Office
Office Hours:
Monday (on Zoom) 4:00-5:00pm
Tuesday (ALT 806) 1:00-2:00pm
Wednesday (ALT 806) 2:00-3:00pm
Thursday (ALT 806) 9:00-10:00am
Contact
CV
Dina C. Merrer joined the Barnard Chemistry Department in 2001. A physical organic chemist, Professor Merrer and her undergraduate research group study the mechanisms of intermolecular carbene additions to strained cyclic compounds and the impact of reaction dynamics on these mechanisms. They use a combination of experimental and computational techniques to elucidate reaction pathways that exhibit non-traditional behavior. Since starting at Barnard, the Merrer group has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Petroleum Research Fund of the American Chemical Society, and Research Corporation.
Merrer has mentored 48 undergraduate research students at Barnard. Her students have co-authored several research papers; students’ names are noted below. In addition, her students have presented their work at national meetings of the American Chemical Society and over two-thirds have gone on to Ph.D., M.D./Ph.D., and M.D. programs in the chemical and biological sciences or onto careers in the chemical sciences.
Merrer has held several leadership positions within the physical organic community, including serving as the co-chair of the 2016 Reaction Mechanisms Conference (RMC) and the RMC Governing Board, editing a special issue on Reactive Intermediates and Unusual Molecules in the Journal of Physical Organic Chemistry, and co-authoring a chapter on Dynamics in Carbene Reactions in Contemporary Carbene Chemistry.
At Barnard, Merrer teaches courses in organic chemistry, including Organic Chemistry I and II, and Advanced Organic Chemistry. She is currently Dean of Science Education and Infrastructure. Other previous leadership roles at Barnard have included serving as co-chair of Barnard's Self-Study for reaccreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (2019-22); chair of the Chemistry Department; and a member of Barnard's Committee on Appointments, Tenure, and Promotion; Faculty Governance and Procedures Committee; Faculty Finance and Resources Committee; Committee on Instruction; and President's Working Group on Diversity and Inclusion.
- B.A., chemistry (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa), Smith College, 1994.
- Ph.D., organic chemistry, Rutgers University, 1999. Advisor: Robert A. Moss
- Postdoctoral, organic chemistry, Ohio State University, 1999-2001. Advisor: Matthew S. Platz
- Organic reaction mechanisms
- Carbenes
- Reaction dynamics
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CHEM BC 3230y Organic Chemistry I
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CHEM BC 3231x Organic Chemistry II
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CHEM BC 3280y Advanced Organic Chemistry
- Ann Whitney Olin Professorship, 2020-22
- Tow Professorship, 2014-16
- Gladys Brooks Teaching Award, 2006
- American Chemical Society
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Sigma Xi
Undergraduate co-authors are emboldened:
(forthcoming invited talk) Good Behavior is Overrated: Carbene Additions to Strained Bonds, International Symposium on Reactive Intermediates and Unusual Molecules, Sorrento, Italy, June 2017.
(forthcoming invited talk) Merrer, D. C. The Valley of Fear(lessness): Carbene Mysteries, James Flack Norris Award Symposium, 253rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Division of Organic Chemistry, San Francisco, CA, April 2017.
(forthcoming invited talk) Merrer, D. C. Good Behavior is Overrated: Carbene Additions to Strained Bonds, Swarthmore College, February 2017.
Estes, V.; Scorese, A.; Nadeem, A.; Urquilla, A.; Dalchand, E.; Tsuno, S.; Merrer, D. C. Mechanism of Chlorocarbene Additions to Diarylcyclooctynes, 251st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Division of Chemical Education, San Diego, CA, March 2016.
(invited talk) Merrer, D. C. Mechanisms of carbene additions to strained C-C π bonds, Symposium on Reactive Intermediates and Unusual Molecules, International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies (Pacifichem), Honolulu, HI, December 2015.
Tsuno, S.; Yang, Z.; Dalchand, E.; Estes, V.; Nadeem, A.; Urquilla, A.; Houk, K. N.; Merrer, D. C. Mechanisms and Dynamics of Chlorocarbene Additions to Diarylcyclooctynes, Gordon Research Conference on Physical Organic Chemistry, Plymouth, NH, June 2015.
Undergraduate co-authors are emboldened:
Hare, S.; Orman, M.; Dewan, F.; Dalchand, E.; Buzard, C.; Ahmed, S.; Tolentino, J. C.; Sethi, U.; Terlizzi, K.; Houferak, C.; Stein, A. M.; Stedronsky, A.; Thamattoor, D. M.; Tantillo, D. J.; Merrer, D. C. Experimental and Computational Mechanistic Investigation of Chlorocarbene Additions to Bridgehead Carbene-anti-Bredt Systems: Noradamantylcarbene-Adamantene and Adamantylcarbene-Homoadamantene, J. Org. Chem. 2015, 80, 5049-5065. link
D’Angelo, H.; McGuire, K. L.; Gillikin, C. M.; Merrer, D. C. Evaluating the Impact of Oil Palm Agriculture and Logging on Soil Microbial Communities, in Land-use Change Impacts on Soil Processes; Brearley, F. Q.; Thomas, A. D., Eds.; CABI: U.K., 2015, in press.
Merrer, D. C.; Doubleday, C. Dynamic Control of Dichlorocarbene Addition to Cyclopropene, J. Phys. Org. Chem. 2011, 24, 947-951. link
Mo, X. Y.; Bernard, S. E.; Khrapunovich, M.; Merrer, D. C. A Computational Study of Chlorocarbene Additions to Cyclooctyne, J. Org. Chem. 2008, 73, 8537-8544. link
Khrapunovich, M.; Zelenova, E.; Seu, L.; Sabo, A. N.; Flaherty A.; Merrer, D. C. Regioselectivity and Mechanism of Dihalocarbene Addition to Benzocyclopropene, J. Org. Chem. 2007, 72, 7574-7580. link
Merrer, D. C.; Rablen, P. R. Dichlorocarbene Addition to Cyclopropenes: A Computational Study, J. Org. Chem. 2005, 70, 1630-1635. link
Current:
PI, Mechanisms, Kinetics, and Dynamics of Carbene Additions to Diarylcyclooctynes, National Science Foundation, CHE-1566361, 2016-2019, $310,000. link
PI, Collaborations in Experimental and Computational Chemical Detective Work: Determining Rogue Organic Reactions, Barnard College Presidential Research Award, 2016-2018, $50,000.
Previous:
PI, Mechanisms and Dynamics of Carbene Additions to Anti-Bredt Olefins, Petroleum Research Fund, American Chemical Society, 52099-UR4, 2012-2016, $65,000.
PI, Dynamics of Carbene Additions to Aryl Cyclooctynes, Barnard College Minigrant, 2015, $8,000.
PI, Dynamic Control of Electrophilic Carbene Additions to Strained Cyclic C-C Bonds, National Science Foundation, CHE-0844034, 2009-2014, $283,626. link
PI, Dynamics of Carbene Additions to Benzocyclopropene, National Center for Supercomputing Applications,TG CHE-110091, 2011-2013. 1.1M SU
Co-PI, MRI-R2: Acquisition of UV-Vis-NIR, FT-IR, and Fluorescence Spectrometric Instrumentation, National Science Foundation, CHE-0959177, 2009-2012, $166,668. link
PI, Reaction Dynamics of Dichlorocarbene Additions to Cyclopropenes, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, TG CHE-100133, 2011-2012, 50,000 SU.
PI, Mechanisms of Electrophilic Carbene Additions to Strained Cyclic C-C Bonds, National Science Foundation, CHE-0517876, 2005-2009, $201,000. link