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

  • Christopher D. Hastings, Lucy S. X. Huffman, William W. Brennssel, and Brandon R. Barnett* “Generation and Reactivity of a High-Spin Iron(IV)-Oxo Complex that is Stable at Ambient Temperatures.” Journal of the American Chemical Society 2025, 147, 14031–10435. DOI: .
  • Marina E. Zapesochny†, Christopher D. Hastings†, William W. Brennessel, and Brandon R. Barnett* “Synthesis and Characterization of Trigonal Monopyramidal Complexes of Divalent Manganese.” Journal of Coordination Chemistry 2025, Early View. DOI: .
  • Hope A. Silva, Bevan S. Whitehead, Christopher D. Hastings, Chandan Kumar Tiwari, William W. Brennessel, and Brandon R. Barnett* “Installation of Copper(I) and Silver(I) Sites into TREN-based Porous Organic Cages via Post-Synthetic Metallation.” Organometallics 2024, 43, 2599–2607. DOI: .
  • Bevan S. Whitehead, William W. Brennessel, Shane S. Michtavy, Hope A. Silva, Jaehwan Kim, Phillip J. Milner, Marc D. Porosoff, and Brandon R. Barnett* “Selective Adsorption of Fluorinated Super Greenhouse Gases within a Metal–Organic Framework with Dynamic Corrugated Ultramicropores.” Chemical Science 2024, 15, 5964–5972. DOI: .
  • 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: .

(‡Equal contributions. § Undergraduate coauthor.)