George A. Kraus

Senior Chemist - Ames Laboratory - USDOE

2759 Gilman
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-3020

Phone: (515) 294-7794
Fax: (515) 294-0105
gakraus@iastate.edu

Education

  • Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1976
  • B.S. from the University of Rochester in 1972

Honors and Awards

  • Fellow of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation 1976
  • Recipient of a DuPont Young Faculty Award in 1976
  • 3M Young Faculty Award in 1981
  • Frasch Award in 1987

Professional Appointments

  • Professor, Dept. of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 2004 - Present
  • Chair, Dept. of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 1993 - 1999
  • Professor, Dept. of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 1986
  • Associate Professor, Dept. of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 1981 - 1986
  • Assistant Professor, Dept. of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 1976

Research Interests

    Our approach to total synthesis involves first the creation of generally-useful methodology for natural product subunits (such as quinones or lactones) which are common to a variety of natural products. This methodology is then applied to those compounds for which it is most appropriate. The development of methods for quinone synthesis has led to highly efficient and regioselective syntheses of pyranonaphthoquinones. The development of reactive bridgehead intermediates has led to direct syntheses of lycopodine and modhephene. The study of the stereoselectivity of the Norrish type II photocyclization has led to an expedient synthesis of paulownin, a biologically-active lignan. The more recent studies on the chemistry-virology interface have led to an interesting chemotherapeutic approach termed the "molecular flashlight".

Selected Publications

  • "Tumor Cell Toxicity of Hypericin and Related Analogs" N. J. Wills, J. Park, S. Kesavan, G. A. Kraus, S. Carpenter Photochem. Photobiol. (symposium in print), 2001, 74, 216.
  • "Regiocontrol by Remote Substituents. A Direct Synthesis of Tetrangulol", G. A. Kraus, N. Zhang, A. Melekhov, J. Jensen Synlett, 2001, 521.
  • "A Synthesis of Racemic Deliquinone", G. A. Kraus, P. K. Choudhury Tetrahedron Letters, 2001, 42, 6649.
  • "Synthesis of Benzofurans from ortho-Substituted Benzaldehydes Using a Hindered Phosphazene Base", G. A. Kraus, N. Zhang, J. G. Verkade, M. Nagarajan, P. B. Kisanga Org. Lett., 2000, 2409.
  • "An Enantioselective Formal Total Synthesis of Phytuberin", . G. A. Kraus, X. Wang Synlett, 1999, 1395.
  • "Synthetic Routes to Pyrroloiminoquinone Alkaloids. A Direct Synthesis of Makaluvamine C", G. A. Kraus, N. Selvakumar J. Org. Chem, 1998, 63, 9846.
  • "A Direct Route to Acylhydroquinones from a-Keto Acids and a-Carboxamido Acids", G. A. Kraus, A. Melekhov Tetrahedron Lett., 1998, 39, 3957.
  • "A Photochemical Alternative to Certain Friedel Crafts Reactions", G.A. Kraus, H. Maeda, P. Liu, A. Melekhov, Y. Lu in "Green Chemistry: Frontiers in Benign Chemical Synthesis and Processing", P. T. Anastas and T.C. Williamson, eds. (Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK) invited book chapter, 1998, Chapter 4, p. 72-86.
  • "1,12-Hydrogen Atom Abstraction Reactions of a-Keto Esters", G. A. Kraus*, W. Zhang Y. Wu J.C.S. Chem. Comm., 1996, 2439.
  • "Research at the Interface Between Chemistry and Virology: The Development of a Molecular Flashlight" G. A. Kraus, W. Zhang, M. Fehr, J. W. Petrich, Y. Wannemuehler, S. Carpenter Chem. Rev., 1996, 96, 523.