Helen Hoyt

General Interests
"My research laboratory focuses on the design of environmentally benign catalysts to address important challenges in synthetic organic chemistry and materials science. Transition-metal organometallic catalysts provide an interesting platform for study given the variety of selective transformations that they can accomplish by the subtle tuning of their coordination environments. One goal in my research is inspired by an aspect of green chemistry known as atom economy. This involves efficiently transforming readily available reagents into valuable products while producing a minimum amount of chemical waste byproducts. A strong emphasis is placed on using mechanistic insight to drive future reaction discovery and development."

Years at Knox: 2011 to present

Education
Ph.D., Chemistry, 2007, University of California-Berkeley.
B.A., Chemistry, 2001, Knox College, summa cum laude.

Teaching Interests
Reaction mechanism, homogeneous catalysis, organometallics, electronic structure, green chemistry.

Selected Professional Accomplishments

Honors/Grants

• National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation Grant, with Katherine Adelsberger, Diana Cermak, Mark Shroyer, 2014-2017.
• American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund, 2014-2016

Publications
M.J. Supej ('15), A. Volkov, L. Darko ('16), R.A. West ('14), J.D. Darmon, C. E. Schulz, K.A. Wheeler, H.M. Hoyt, "Aryl-Substituted BIAN Complexes of Iron Dibromide: Synthesis, X-ray and Electronic Structure, and Catalytic Hydrosilylation Activity," Polyhedron 114 C (2016): 403-413.

S.T. Schroth, S. T.; Crawford, M. A.; Dixon, J. D.; Hoyt, H. M.; Helfer, J. A. "Establishing Groups in the College or University Classroom: Using VIEW to Form Better Cooperative Groups and Improve Learning Outcomes," Educational Research Quarterly 39.2 (2015): 3-35.

Bryan, A. M.; Lin, C.-Y.; Sorai, M.; Miyazaki, Y.; Hoyt, H. M.; Hablutzel, A.; LaPointe, A.; Reiff, W. M.; Power, P. P.; Schulz, C. E. "Measurement of Extreme Hyperfine Fields in Two-Coordinate High- Spin Fe2+ Complexes by Mössbauer Spectroscopy: Essentially Free- Ion Magnetism in the Solid State."Inorganic Chemistry 53(2014): 12100-12107.

"Synthesis, Electronic Structure, and Alkene Hydrosilylation Activity of Terpyridine and Bis(imino)pyridine Iron Dialkyl Complexes." Tondreau, A. M.; Atienza, C. C. H.; Darmon, J. M.; Milsmann, C.; Hoyt, H. M.; Weller, K. J.; Nye, S. A.; Lewis, K. M.; Boyer, J.; Delis, J. G. P.; Lobkovsky, E.; Chirik, P. J. Organometallics 31 (2012): 4886-4893.

"Synthesis and Electronic Structure of Cationic, Neutral, and Anionic Bis(imino)pyridine Iron Alkyl Complexes: Evaluation of Redox Activity in Single-Component Ethylene Polymerization Catalysts." Tondreau, A. M.; Milsmann, C.; Patrick, A. D.; Hoyt, H. M.; Lobkovsky, E.; Wieghardt, K.; Chirik, P. J. Journal of the American Chemical Society 132 (2010): 15046-15059.

"Synthesis, structural characterization, and quantitative basicity studies of lithium zirconimidate complexes." Chiu, M. C.; Hoyt, H. M.; Michael, F. M.; van Halbeek, H. Bergman, R. G. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 47 (2008): 6073-6076.

"Kinetic control and multiple mechanisms for C-H bond activation with Zr=N complexes." Hoyt, H. M.; Bergman, R. G. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 46 (2007): 5580-5582.

"Mechanistic study of the Staudinger Ligation." Lin, F.; Hoyt, H. M.; van Halbeek, H.; Bergman, R. G.; Bertozzi, C. R. Journal of the American Chemical Society 127 (2005): 2686-2695.

"C-H bond activation of hydrocarbons by an imidozirconocene complex." Hoyt, H. M.; Michael, F. E.; Bergman, R. G. Journal of the American Chemical Society 126 (2004): 1018-1019.

Presentations
Tran, G. N.; Cody, C. C.; Takemura, M.; Darko, L.; Volkov, A.; Martinez, E.Y.; Fuller, W. L.; Darmon, J.M.; Schulz, C.E.; Wheeler, K.A.; Hoyt, H.M., "Synthesis, electronic structure, and reactivity of iron complexes bearing donor-modified BIAN ligands," Contributed Talk, INOR-19, 253rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Francisco, CA. April 2-6, 2017.

Supej, M. J.; Volkov, A.; Darko, L.; West, R. A.; Darmon, J.D.; Schulz, C. E.; Wheeler, K. A.; Hoyt, H.M., "Aryl-substituted BIAN complexes of iron dibromide: Synthesis, x-ray and electronic structure, and catalytic hydrosilylation activity," Contributed Talk, INOR-582, 251st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Diego, CA. March 13-17, 2016.

"Research at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution: Electronic Structure and Hydrosilylation Activity of Iron Catalysts with Conjugated α-Diimine Ligands," The University of Chicago. December 9, 2016.

"Acquisition of a 400 MHz NMR Spectrometer for Undergraduate Research in Inorganic Chemistry and Curricular Reform at Knox College," American Chemical Society-Illinois-Iowa Local Section Meeting, Monmouth College. April 19, 2016. 

"A Green Chemical Approach to Catalysis Using Iron Complexes: Synthesis, X-ray and Electronic Structure, and Catalytic Hydrosilylation Activity," Plenary Speaker, 29th Organic Chemistry Day Symposium, University of Missouri-Columbia. April 9, 2016.

"A Green Chemical Approach to Catalysis Using Iron Complexes: Synthesis, X-ray and Electronic Structure, and Catalytic Hydrosilylation Activity," American Chemical Society - Northwest Central Ohio Local Section Meeting, Ohio Northern University, Delaware, OH. December 7, 2015.

Supej, M. J. ('15); Wheeler, K. A.; Schulz, C. E.; Hoyt, H. M. "Synthesis, characterization, and catalytic activity of iron complexes supported by BIAN ligands" Contributed Talk #265, 2015 Joint Great Lakes and Central Regional American Chemical Society Meeting, Grand Rapids, MI, May 27-30, 2015.

Supervisor for Student Poster Presentations:
Volkov, A. ('16); Hoyt, H. M. "Hydrosilylation Activity of Iron Complexes Supported by Conjugated α-diimine Ligands." Midstates Consortium for Math and Science, 2015 Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Computer science, poster presentation, November 13-14, 2015, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.

Darko, L. ('16); Hoyt, H. M. "Electronic Structure Studies of Aryl-Substituted BIAN Complexes of Iron Dibromide." Midstates Consortium for Math and Science, 2015 Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Computer science, poster presentation, November 13-14, 2015, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.

Supej, M. J. ('15); Wheeler, K. A.; Schulz, C. E.; Hoyt, H. M. "Synthesis and characterization of BIAN iron dihalide complexes." Poster, INOR-198, 249th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Denver, CO, March 22-26, 2015.

Tran, G. (`15); Martinez, E. Y. (`15); Schulz, C. E.; Hoyt, H. M. "Preparation, characterization, and reactivity studies of
iron complexes supported by conjugated tridentate ligands." Midstates Consortium for Math and Science, 2014 Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Computer Science, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, October 31-November 1, 2014.

Supej, M. (`15); Wheeler, K. A.; Schulz, C. E.; Hoyt, H. M. "Synthesis and characterization of α-diimine iron complexes for the hydrosilylation of unsaturated hydrocarbons." Midstates Consortium for Math and Science, 2014 Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Computer Science, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, October 31-November 1, 2014.

Supej, M. ('15); Hoyt, H.M. "Synthesis and characterization of new iron complexes for the hydrosilation of 1-hexene." Midstates Consortium for Math and Science, Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Computer Science. University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 2013.

Takemura, M. ('14); Hoyt, H.M. "Synthesis and characterization of an iron dibromide complex supported by a donor-modified tridentate α-diimine liand." Midstates Consortium for Math and Science, Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Computer Science. Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, 2012.

Campus & Community Involvement

• Secretary, Phi Beta Kappa, Knox College Delta Chapter
• Member, American Chemical Society

What Students Say
"It is not difficult to recognize that Helen Hoyt truly enjoys being a chemistry professor. As a professor and research supervisor, Helen is very approachable and always willing to help her students in different ways : planning Knox academic career, providing tips on how to conquer Knox based on her experiences, and being an additional resource. To those students she sees with good chemistry potential and strong interest, she challenges them well with constant encouragement and acknowledges them of their good efforts. Overall, she is concerned for her students well being and respects them as smart independent individuals and scientists."
-Marika Takemura, Chemistry Major