The focus of the Nas Lab is the education and development of undergraduate researchers in a scientifically rigorous and intentionally inclusive environment. Projects target investigations of transition metal-free methods to make key bonds to carbon.
Funding
Organic Syntheses PUI Summer Research Grant ($8,000 per summer for two summers), 2024–2025
Student Presentations, student presenter underlined
American Chemical Society 268th National Meeting, 2025, Washington, DC, “Intramolecularly Activated sp3 Boronate Complexes” Alexis Hamilton and Dr. Daniel J. Nasrallah (Poster Presentation)
American Chemical Society 268th National Meeting, 2025, Washington, DC, “Investigation into eco-friendly, transition metal-free C–H amination reaction” Samson W. Hill, Ben P. Cerkovnik, Kaitlin M. Ervine, and Dr. Daniel J. Nasrallah (Poster Presentation)
Showcase of Research and Creativity, 2025, Roanoke College, Salem, VA, “Intramolecularly Activated sp3 Boronate Complexes in Transition Metal Free Reactions” Alexis Hamilton and Dr. Daniel J. Nasrallah (Poster Presentation)
Showcase of Research and Creativity, 2025, Roanoke College, Salem, VA, “Inexpensive and Environmentally Friendly Methods to Make Crucial C–N Bonds with Diaziridinium Salts” Samson W. Hill, Ben Cerkovnik, and Dr. Daniel J. Nasrallah (Poster Presentation)
Inaugural Undergraduate Showcase in the General Assembly Building, 2025, Network for Undergraduate Research in Virginia, Richmond, VA, “Inexpensive and Environmentally Friendly Methods to Make Crucial C–N Bonds with Diaziridinium Salts” Samson W. Hill and Dr. Daniel J. Nasrallah (Poster Presentation)
Showcase of Research and Creativity, 2024, Roanoke College, Salem, VA, “Intramolecularly Activated sp3 Boronate Complexes in Transition Metal Free Reactions” Alexis Hamilton and Dr. Daniel J. Nasrallah (Poster Presentation)
Showcase of Research and Creativity, 2024, Roanoke College, Salem, VA, “Transition Metal Free C-H Amination Reactions Catalyzed by an Organic Iminium Salt” Ben Cerkovnik and Dr. Daniel J. Nasrallah (Poster Presentation)
Showcase of Research and Creativity, 2024, Roanoke College, Salem, VA, “Transition Metal Free N-Atom Transfer Reactions with Diaziridinium Salts” Samson W. Hill and Dr. Daniel J. Nasrallah (Poster Presentation, 2nd place prize)
Publications Prior to Independent Career
Ludwig, J. R.;† Kiernicki, J. J.;† Nasrallah, D. J.; Zehnder, T. E.; Zeller, M.; Szymczak, N. K.; Schindler, C. S. Mechanistic Investigations into the Olefination of Oximes and Hydrazones Support Intermediate Ruthenium Nitrides. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2025, 147, 14422–14431.
Ippoliti, F. M.; Wonilowicz, L. G.; Adamson, N. J.; Darzi, E. R.; Donaldson, J. S.; Nasrallah, D. J.; Mehta M. M.; Kelleghan, A. V.; Houl, K. N.; Garg, N. K. Total Synthesis of Lissodendoric Acid A. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2024, 63, e202406676.
Bulger, A.;† Nasrallah, D. J.;† Tena Meza, A.;† Garg, N. K. Enantioselective Nickel-Catalyzed Mizoroki–Heck Cyclizations of Amide Electrophiles. Chemical Science 2024, Advanced Article.
Nasrallah, D. J.; Garg, N. K. Studies Pertaining to the Emerging Cannabinoid Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC). ACS Chemical Biology 2023, 18, 2023–2029.
Ippoliti, F. M.;† Adamson, N. J.;† Wonilowicz, L. G.; Nasrallah, D. J.; Darzi, E. R.; Donaldson, J. S.; Garg, N. K. Total Synthesis of Lissodendoric Acid A via Stereospecific Trapping of a Strained Cyclic Allene. Science 2023, 379, 261–265.
Publications during Graduate School
Zehnder, T. E.; Nasrallah, D. J.; Stanley, J. L.; Kiernicki, J. J.; Szymczak, N. K.; Schindler, C. S. Development of an In Situ Protocol for the Intramolecular Olefination of Oximes. Organometallics 2023, 42, 479–485.
McAtee, C. C.; Nasrallah, D. J.; Ryu, H.; Gatazka, M. R.; McAtee, R. C.; Baik, M.-H.; Schindler, C. S. Catalytic, Interrupted Carbonyl-Olefin Metathesis for the Formation of Functionalized Cyclopentadienes. ACS Catalysis 2023, 13, 3036–3043.
Nasrallah, D. J.;† Zehnder, T. E.;† Ludwig, J. R.; Steigerwald, D. C.; Kiernicki, J. J.; Szymczak, N. K.; Schindler, C. S. Hydrazone and Oxime Olefination via Ruthenium Alkylidenes. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2022, 61, e202112101.
Davis, A. J.;† Watson, R. B.;† Nasrallah D. J.; Gomez-Lopez, J. L.; Schindler, C. S. Superelectrophilic Aluminum(III)-Ion Pairs Promote a Distinct Reaction Path for Carbonyl-Olefin Ring Closing Metathesis. Nature Catalysis 2020, 3, 787–796.
Riehl, P. R.; Nasrallah, D. J.; Schindler, C. S. Catalytic, Transannular Carbonyl-Olefin Metathesis Reactions. Chemical Science 2019, 10, 10267–10274.
Ludwig, J. R.; Watson, R. B.;† Nasrallah, D. J.;† Gianino, J. B.; Zimmerman, P. M.; Wiscons, R. A.; Schindler, C. S. Interrupted Carbonyl-Olefin Metathesis via Oxygen Atom Transfer. Science 2018, 361, 1363–1369.
Publications during Undergraduate Career
Fakhouri, L; Cook, C.; Al-Huniti, M.; Console-Bram, L.; Hurst, D.; Spano, M.; Nasrallah, D.; Caron, M.; Barak, L.; Reggio, P.; Abood, M.; Croatt, M. Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of GPR55 Agonists. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry 2017, 25, 4355–4367.
Hyatt, I. F. D.; Nasrallah, D. J.; Maxwell, M. A.; Hairston, A. C. F.; Abdalhameed, M. M.; Croatt M. P. Formation and in situ Reactions of Hypervalent Iodonium Alkynyl Triflates to form Cyanocarbenes. Chemical Communications 2015, 51, 5287–5289.
Smith, C. L.; Hirschhäuser, C.; Malcolm, G. K.; Nasrallah, D. J.; Gallagher T. Synthesis of Mono- and Diaza-‘Pyridones’ via Stille Coupling of Alkoxystannanes. Synlett 2014, 13,1904–1908.
Nasrallah, D. J.; Croatt, M. P. Rhodium(I)-Catalyzed [2+2+2+2] Cycloaddition of a Diyne to form a Cyclooctatetraene. European Journal of Organic Chemistry 2014, 18, 3767.
Hyatt, I. F. D.; Nasrallah, D. J.; Croatt, M. P. Synthesis of Hypervalent Iodonium Alkynyl Triflates for the Application of Generating Cyanocarbenes. Journal of Visualized Experiments 2013, 79, e50886, DOI:10.3791/50886.
(† contributed equally)