Education
Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
William Karney received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the
University of California, Los Angeles, in 1994. Prior to his
position at USF he did postdoctoral work at the University of
Washington and the University of California, Berkeley.
At USF, William teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in
environmental chemistry, air pollution, water treatment, and
instrumental analysis. His research, performed in collaboration
with Professor Claire
Castro (Chemistry), involves the use of computational chemistry
to understand the structures, energetics, and properties of organic
compounds and the mechanisms of organic reactions. Recent projects
include the elucidation of mechanisms for dynamic processes in
annulenes and the high-temperature rearrangements of polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). His work is funded by the National
Science Foundation.
Selected Publications:
Santander, M. V.; Pastor, M. B.; Nelson, J. N.; Castro, C.;
Karney, W. L., J. Org. Chem.2013, 78, in
press. DOI: 10.1021/jo302072p. "Hückel and Möbius Bond-shifting
Routes to Configuration Change in Dehydro[4n+2]annulenes."
Castro, C.; Karney, W. L., J. Phys. Org.
Chem.2012,25, 612-619. "Mechanisms
and Möbius Strips: Understanding Dynamic Processes in
Annulenes."
Januar, L. A.; Huynh, V.; Wood, T. S.; Castro, C.; Karney, W.
L., J. Org. Chem.2011, 76,
403-407. "Dehydro[12]annulenes: Structures, Energetics, and Dynamic
Processes."
Okoronkwo, T.; Nguyen, P. T.; Castro, C.; Karney, W. L.,
Org. Lett.2010, 12, 972-975.
"[14]Annulene: Cis/trans Isomerization via Two-twist and
Nondegenerate Planar Bond Shifting, and Möbius Conformational
Minima."
Dosa, P. I.; Gu, Z.; Hager, D.; Karney, W. L.; Vollhardt, K. P.
C., Chem. Commun.2009, 1967-1969.
"Flash-Vacuum-Pyrolytic Reorganization of Angular
[4]Phenylene."
Castro, C.; Karney, W. L.; Noey, E.; Vollhardt, K. P. C.,
Org. Lett.2008, 10, 1287-1290.
"Competing Isomerizations of [12]Annulenes: Diels-Alder Reaction
versus Electrocyclization."
Moll, J. F.; Pemberton, R. P.; Gutierrez, M. G.; Castro, C.;
Karney, W. L., J. Am. Chem. Soc.2007,
129, 274-275. "Configuration Change in [14]Annulene
Requires Möbius Antiaromatic Bond Shifting."
Castro, C.; Karney, W. L.; Valencia, M. A.; Vu, C. M. H.;
Pemberton, R. P., J. Am. Chem. Soc.2005,
127, 9704-9705. "Möbius Aromaticity in [12]Annulene:
Cis-Trans Isomerization via Twist-Coupled Bond Shifting."
Castro, C.; Isborn, C. M.; Karney, W. L.; Mauksch, M.; Schleyer,
P. v. R., Org. Lett.2002, 4,
3431-3434. "Aromaticity with a Twist: Möbius [4n]Annulenes."
Karney, W. L.; Borden, W. T., J. Am. Chem.
Soc.1997, 119, 1378-1387. "Ab Initio
Study of the Ring Expansion of Phenylnitrene and Comparison with
the Ring Expansion of Phenylcarbene."
