Draft:Andy A. Thomas

Andy A. Thomas is a U.S. chemist and currently an assistant professor at Texas A&M University. His research focuses on the development of synthetic methodologies using highly reactive intermediates. Currently, he is investigating reaction site selectivity using lithium reagents, intercepting ozonolysis intermediates, and work in the area of ligand design.

Early Life and Education
Andy Thomas was born in Oakboro, North Carolina in 1988.

In 2006, he attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte,obtaining his B.S. and M.S. with Prof. Craig A. Ogle. In 2011, he joined Prof. Scott E. Denmark at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned his PhD by studying the transmetalation step of the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction and characterizing the pre-transmetalation intermediates. In 2017, he began his post-doctoral fellowship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Prof. Steven L. Buchwald, where he designed ligands for copper hydride catalyzed hydroamination.

In 2020, he began his independent career as an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University.

Lithium Dendrites
In 2022, Thomas and co. designed a method to recrystallize and make lithium dendrites- a lithium source that had 100 times more surface area than lithium powder. Furthermore, the dendrites proved to be highly effective in preparing organolithium reagents.

Site Selectivity
In 2023, a method to functionalize remote positions on heterocycles using lithium bases was designed.

Primary Ozonides
In 2023, a method to produce syn-hydroxyls via capture of primary ozonide intermediates was described.

Research
Currently, Thomas is leading a research group that specializes in synthetic methods using reactive materials. Some major topics Thomas and his research group are focusing on are:
 * Synthetic methods for organolithium reagents
 * Constructive Ozonolysis
 * Synthesis of Reactive Materials
 * Design of Rapid-Injection NMR system

Recent Publications

 * Wu, Dino & Martin, Robert & Piña, Jeanette & Kwon, Junho & Crockett, Michael & Thomas, Andy & Gutierrez, Osvaldo & Park, Nathaniel & Hedrick, James & Campos, Luis. (2024). Cyclopropenimine‐Mediated CO 2 Activation for the Synthesis of Polyurethanes and Small‐Molecule Carbonates and Carbamates. Angewandte Chemie. 10.1002/ange.202401281.
 * Thomas, Andy & Aguirre, Lupita & Litwiller, Levi & Lugo, Alexis. (2024). Design and Synthesis of Dialkylarylphosphine Urea Ligands and their Application in Palladium‐Catalyzed Cross‐Coupling Reactions. Helvetica Chimica Acta. 10.1002/hlca.202300244.
 * Arriaga, Danniel & Kang, Seokmin & Thomas, Andy. (2023). Effect of Solvent on the Rate of Ozonolysis: Development of a Homogeneous Flow Ozonolysis Protocol. The Journal of Organic Chemistry. 88. 10.1021/acs.joc.3c01372.