College of Sciences

Chemistry Department

Manning Cooke

Professor Emeritus

Address

Chemistry Department
PO Box 644630
Pullman, WA 99164-4630

(509) 335-1200
email: cooke@wsu.edu

 
Manning Cooke

Education
  • PhD Chemistry, 1968
    University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
  • Postdoctoral Study
    Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Research

Professor Cooke earned his Ph.D. degree in chemistry at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (1968) and did postdoctoral research with Nobel laureate E.J. Corey at Harvard University and with J.P. Collman at Stanford University, before joining the faculty at WSU in 1971. 

Our research efforts are directed primarily toward the development of new synthetic methods in both organic and organo-transtition metal chemistry. We are presently exploring a new approach to conjugate addition reactions in which normally competing 1,2-addition reactions are suppressed by the presence of an adjacent unit of negative charge. An example of such charge-directed addition reactions using an unsaturated ylide is shown below.

 

Cooke Image 1

We are also investigating a variety of metal-halogen exchange-initiated cyclization reactions. Rapid lithium-iodine exchange reactions are used to generate reactive nucleophilic centers which then undergo intramolecular conjugate addition reactions. An example showing the utility of this approach in multiple-ring synthesis is shown below. 

Cooke Image 2

We have recently begun a study of a new class of Michael acceptors which represent the first examples of boron-activated nucleophilic additions to olefins. Such reactions are made possible by the steric suppression of reactions of nucleophiles with the acidic boron atom. 

Cooke Image 3

Publications
  • Cooke, Jr., M. P., "Boron-Activation of Acetylenes to Nucleophilic Addition Reactions", J. Org. Chem. (1994) 59 2930
  • Cooke, Jr., M. P. and Gopal, D., "Tandem Metal-Halogen Exchange-Initiated Conjugate Addition Reactions of Acetylenic Esters", J. Org.Chem. (1994) 59 260
  • Cooke, Jr., M. P. and Gopal, D., "Stereoselective Construction of Functionalized Bicyclic Carbocycles Through Metal-Halogen Exchange-Initiated Sequential Conjugate Addition Reactions", Tetrahedron Lett. (1994) 35 2837
  • Cooke, Jr., M. P. and Pollock, C. L., "Charge-Directed Conjugate Addition Reactions of Silylated alpha-beta-Unsaturated Amidate Anions", J. Org. Chem. (1993) 58 7474
  • Cooke, Jr., M. P., "Metal-Halogen Exchange-Initiated Intramolecular Conjugate Addition Reactions of Conjugated Acetylenic Esters", J. Org.Chem. (1993) 58 6833

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Chemistry Department, PO Box 644630, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164-4630, 509-335-5585, Contact Us