Faculty Profile Image

Brandon R. Barnett

  • Assistant Professor of Chemistry

PhD, University of California, San Diego, 2016

Office Location
471 Hutchison Hall
Telephone
(585) 275-8286
Web Address

Research Overview

Research in the Barnett group seeks novel approaches toward the functionalization and separation of important chemical feedstocks. Our work lies at the interface of organometallic and inorganic materials chemistry, and our wide-ranging interests encompass both fundamental and applied chemistry. Specific aims include:

  • The isolation and characterization of elusive high-valent first-row metal complexes relevant to oxidation catalysis
  • The development of C-H activation processes with non-thermodynamic selectivities
  • The development of adsorbents that can capture fluorinated "super-greenhouse gases" from point emission sources

Members of the group will gain expertise in air-free and benchtop synthetic procedures, as well as state-of-the-art characterization techniques vital to pursuits in inorganic and materials/physical chemistry.

Research Interests

  • Organometallic chemistry
  • Porous materials
  • Molecular separations
  • Catalysis

Selected Publications

  • Hastings, C.D.; Huffman, L.S.X.; Tiwari, C.K.; Galindo Betancourth, J.; Brennessel, W.W.; Barnett, B.R.* "Coordinatively Unsaturated Metallates of Cobalt(II), Nickel(II), and Zinc(II) Guarded by a Rigid and Narrow Void." Inorg. Chem. 2023, 62, 11920-11931. DOI: .
  • Barnett, B.R.; Evans, H.A.; Su, G. M.; Jiang, H.Z.H.; Chakraborty, R.; Banyeretse, D.; Hartman, T.J.; Martinez, M.B.; Trump. B.A.; Tarver, J.D.; Dods, M.N.; Funke, L.M.; Börgel, J.; Reimer, J.A.; Drisdell, W.S.; Hurst, K.E.; Gennett, T.; FitzGerald, S.A.; Brown, C.M.; Head-Gordon, M.; Long, J.R. “Observation of an Intermediate to H2 Binding in a Metal–Organic Framework.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 14884-14994. DOI:
  • Anastasopoulou, A.; Furukawa, H.; Barnett, B.R.; Jiang, H.Z.H.; Long, J.R.; Breunig, H. “Technoeconomic Analysis of Metal–Organic Frameworks for Bulk Hydrogen Transportation.” Energy Environ. Sci. 2021, 14, 1083-1094. DOI:
  • Su, G.M.; Wang, H.; Barnett, B.R.; Long, J.R.; Prendergast, D.; Drisdell, W.S. “Backbonding Contributions to Small Molecule Chemisorption in a Metal–Organic Framework with Open Copper(I) Centers.” Chem. Sci. 2021, 12, 2156-2164. DOI:
  • Barnett, B.R.; Parker, S.T.; Paley, M.V.; Biggins, N.; Gonzalez, M.I.; Oktawiec, J.; Long, J.R. “Thermodynamic Separation of 1-Butene from 2-Butene in Metal–Organic Frameworks with Open Metal Sites.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 18325-18333. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b09942

(‡Equal contributions. § Undergraduate coauthor.)