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Research Publications

The following list of publications represents the work done by Robert J. McMahon and/or his graduate students from 1981 to date. The link following each reference will navigate to an abstract of the article. The full article can then be accessed with the proper journal subscription. If you do not have access to the full article, email Robert McMahon for a copy. If there is a problem with a link, please email Nikki Burrmann.

• Molecular View of the Isothermal Transformation of a Stable Glass to a Liquid, Stephen F. Swallen, Kenneth L. Kearns, Sushil Satija, Katherine Traynor, Robert J. McMahon, Mark D. Ediger, J. Chem. Phys. manuscript submitted.



• A Search for ortho-Benzyne (o-C₆H₄) in CRL 618, Susanna L. Widicus-Weaver, Anthony J. Remijan, Robert J. McMahon, and Benjamin J. McCall, Astrophys. J. in press.



• Organic Glass-Forming Materials: 1,3,5-Tris(naphthyl)benzene Derivatives, Paul A. Bonvallet, Caroline J. Breitkreuz, Yong Seol Kim, Eric M. Todd, Katherine Traynor, Charles G. Fry, Mark D. Ediger, Robert J. McMahon, J. Org. Chem. 2007, 72, 10051-10057. View article.



• Triplet 1,3-Diphenylpropynylidene (PhC₃Ph), Jeffrey T. DePinto, Wendy A. deProphetis, Jessica L. Menke, and Robert J. McMahon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129(8), 2308-2315. View article.



• Organic Glasses with Exceptional Thermodynamic and Kinetic Stability, Stephen F. Swallen, Kenneth L. Kearns, Marie K. Mapes, Yong Seol Kim, Robert J. McMahon, Mark D. Ediger, Tian Wu, Lian Yu, Sushil Satija, Science 2007, 315, 353-356. View article.



• Ring Opening of 2,5-Didehydrothiophene: Matrix Photochemistry of C₄H₂S Isomers, Yong Seol Kim, Hiroshi Inui, and Robert J. McMahon, J. Org. Chem. 2006, 71, 9602-9608. View Article.



• Neutron Reflectivity Measurements of the Translational Motion of tris-Naphthylbenzene at the Glass Transition Temperature, Stephen F. Swallen, Marie K. Mapes, Yong Seol Kim, Robert J. McMahon, M. D. Ediger, Sushil Satija, J. Chem. Phys. 2006, 124, 184501. View article.



• Enediyne Isomers of Tetraethynylethene, Nathan P. Bowling and Robert J. McMahon, J. Org. Chem. 2006, 71, 5841-5847. [selected as feature article for journal cover] View article.



• Reactive Carbon-Chain Molecules: Synthesis of 1-Diazo-2,4-pentadiyne and Spectroscopic Characterization of Triplet Pentadiynylidene (HC₅H), Nathan P. Bowling, Robert J. Halter, Jonathan A. Hodges, Randal A. Seburg, Phillip S. Thomas, Christopher S. Simmons, John F. Stanton, and Robert J. McMahon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 3291-3302. View article.



• Ring Opening of 2,5-Didehydrothiophene: Structures and Rearrangements of C₄H₂S Isomers, Yong Seol Kim and Robert J. McMahon, J. Org. Chem. 2005, 70, 8171-8179. View article.



• Interstellar Chemistry: A Strategy for Detecting Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Space, F. J. Lovas, Robert J. McMahon, Jens-Uwe Grabow, Melanie Schnell, James Mack, Lawrence T. Scott, Robert L. Kuczkowski, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 4345-4349. View article.



• The Radio Spectrum of the Phenyl Radical, R. J. McMahon, M. C. McCarthy, C. A. Gottlieb, J. B. Dudek, J. F. Stanton, P. Thaddeus, Astrophys. J. 2003, 590, L61-L64. View article.



• Chemical Reactions Involving Quantum Tunneling, Robert J. McMahon, Science 2003, 299, 833-834.



• Self Diffusion of tris-Naphthylbenzene Near the Glass Transition Temperature, Stephen F. Swallen, Paul A. Bonvallet, Robert J. McMahon, and M. D. Ediger, Phys. Rev. Lett. 2003, 90, 015901. View article.



• Formation of an Atomically Abrupt Interface between a Polycyclic Aromatic Molecule and the Silicon (001) Surface via Direct Si-C Linkage, Michael P. Schwartz, Robert J. Halter, Robert J. McMahon, Robert J. Hamers, J. Phys. Chem. B 2003, 107, 224-228. View article.



• Access to the Naphthylcarbene Rearrangement Manifold via Isomeric Benzodiazocycloheptatrienes, Paul A. Bonvallet, Eric M. Todd, Yong Seol Kim, and Robert J. McMahon, J. Org. Chem. 2002, 67, 9031-9042. View article.



• Microwave Spectra and Molecular Structures of (Z)-Pent-2-ene-4-ynenitrile and Maleonitrile, Robert J. Halter, Ryan L. Fimmen, Robert J. McMahon, Sean A. Peebles, Robert L. Kuczkowski, and John F. Stanton, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 12353-12363. View article.


• The Elusive Benzocyclobutenylidene: A Combined Computational and Experimental Attempt, Athanassios Nicolaides, Takeshi Matsushita, Kohichi Yonezawa, Shinji Sawai, Hideo Tomioka, Louise L. Stracener, Jonathan A. Hodges, and Robert J. McMahon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 2870-2876. View article.



• Electronic Spectrum of Propadienylidene (H₂C₃:) and its Relevance to the Diffuse Interstellar Bands, Jonathan A. Hodges, Robert J. McMahon, Kurt W. Sattelmeyer, and John F. Stanton, Astrophys. J. 2000, 544, 838-842. View article.



• Generation, Characterization, and Rearrangements of 4,5-Benzocyclohepta-1,2,4,6-tetraene, Paul A. Bonvallet and Robert J. McMahon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 9332-9333. View article.



• Thiazole and Thiophene Analogs of Donor-Acceptor Stilbenes: Molecular Hyperpolarizability and Structure-Property Relationships, Eric M. Breitung, Ching-Fong Shu, and Robert J. McMahon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 1154-1160. View article.



• Equilibrium Structure of cis-Hex-3-ene-1,5-diyne and Relevance to the Bergman Cyclization, Robert J. McMahon, Robert J. Halter, Ryan L. Fimmen, Robb J. Wilson, Sean A. Peebles, Robert L. Kuczkowski, and John F. Stanton, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 939-949. View article.



• Singlet-Triplet Energy Separation of Cyclobutylidene, Louise L. Stracener, Robert J. Halter, Robert J. McMahon, Claire Castro, and William L. Karney, J. Org. Chem. 2000, 65, 199-204. View article.



• Measurement of Solute Dipole Moments in Dilute Solution: A Simple Three-Terminal Cell, Eric M. Breitung, Worth E. Vaughan, and Robert J. McMahon, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 2000, 71, 224-227. View article.



• Ortho-Conjugatively Linked Reactive Intermediates. The Cases of Ortho-Phenylene-(Bis)-Nitrene, -Carbenonitrene, and -(Bis)Carbene, Athanassios Nicolaides, Takehito Nakayama, Katsuhisa Yamazaki, Hideo Tomioka, Shiro Koseki, Louise L. Stracener, and Robert J. McMahon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 10563-10572. View article.



• Photoequilibration of 1-Naphthylcarbene and 4,5-Benzobicyclo[4.1.0]hepta-2,4,6-triene, Paul A. Bonvallet and Robert J. McMahon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 10496-10503. View article.



• Synthesis and Characterization of Nonlinear Optical Chromophores with Conformationally-Locked Polyenes Possessing Enhanced Thermal Stability, Yuan-Cheng Shu, Zhi-Hao Gong, Ching-Fong Shu, Eric M. Breitung, Robert J. McMahon, Gene-Hsiang Lee, and Alex K.-Y. Jen, Chem. Mater. 1999, 11, 1628-1632. View article.



• Synthesis and Characterization of Thiazole-Containing Chromophores for Second-Order Nonlinear Optics, Yuh-Kai Wang, Ching-Fong Shu, Eric M. Breitung, and Robert J. McMahon, J. Mater. Chem. 1999, 9, 1449-1452. View article.



• Structure-Property Relationships in Organic Nonlinear Optical Materials, Eric M. Breitung and Robert J. McMahon; In Organic Nonlinear Optical Materials and Devices, B. Kippelen, H. Lackritz, and R. Claus, Eds.; Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings; Materials Research Society: Pittsburgh, 1999; Vol. 561; F2.7.



• Reversible Interconversion between Singlet and Triplet Naphthyl Carbomethoxy Carbene, Zhendong Zhu, Thomas Bally, Louise L. Stracener, and Robert J. McMahon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 2863-2874. View article.



• Facile Synthesis and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Push-Pull 5,15-Diphenylporphyrins, Ming Yeung, Anthony C. H. Ng, Michael G. B. Drew, Erich Vorpagel, Eric M. Breitung, Robert J. McMahon, and Dennis K. P. Ng, J. Org. Chem. 1998, 63, 7143-7150. View article.



• Structures and Stabilities of C₅H₂ Isomers: Quantum Chemical Studies, Randal A. Seburg, Robert J. McMahon, John F. Stanton, and Jürgen Gauss, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1997, 119, 10838-10845. View article.



• Structures, Automerizations, and Isomerizations of C₃H₂ Isomers, Randal A. Seburg, Eric V. Patterson, John F. Stanton, and Robert J. McMahon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1997, 119, 5847-5856. View article.



• Rearrangements of C₇H₆ Isomers: Computational Studies of the Interconversions of Bicyclo[3.2.0]hepta-1,3,6-triene, Bicyclo[3.2.0]hept-3,6-diene-2-ylidene, Bicyclo[3.2.0]-hepta-2.3,6-triene, and Cyclohepta-1,2,4,6-tetraene, Eric V. Patterson and Robert J. McMahon, J. Org. Chem. 1997, 62, 4398-4405. View article.



• The Electronic Spectrum of Propadienylidene (H₂C₃:), John F. Stanton, Jeffrey T. DePinto, Randal A. Seburg, Jonathan A. Hodges, and Robert J. McMahon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1997, 119, 429-430. View article.



• Nitrogen and Oxygen Donors in Nonlinear Optical Materials: Effects of Alkyl vs. Phenyl Substitution on the Molecular Hyperpolarizability, Craig M. Whitaker, Eric V. Patterson, Kevin L. Kott, and Robert J. McMahon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1996, 118, 9966-9973. View article.



• The C₇H₆ Potential Energy Surface Revisited: Relative Energies and IR Assignment, Stephan Matzinger, Thomas Bally, Eric V. Patterson, and Robert J. McMahon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1996, 118, 1535-1542. View article.



• Synthesis and Characterization of Organic Materials with Conveniently Accessible Supercooled Liquid and Glassy Phases: Isomeric 1,3,5-Tris(naphthyl)benzenes, Craig M. Whitaker and Robert J. McMahon, J. Phys. Chem. 1996, 100, 1081-1090. View article.



• Automerization in Propynylidene (HC₃H), Propadienylidene (H₂C:), and Cyclopropenylidene (c-C₃H₂), Randal A. Seburg and Robert J. McMahon, Angew. Chem. 1995, 107, 2198-2201; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 1995, 34, 2009-2012. View article.



• Synthesis and Solid-State Structure of Substituted Arylphosphine Oxides, Craig M. Whitaker, Kevin L. Kott, and Robert J. McMahon, J. Org. Chem. 1995, 60, 3499-3508. View article.



• Second-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties of Substituted Arylphosphine Oxides, Kevin L. Kott, Craig M. Whitaker, and Robert J. McMahon, Chem. Mater. 1995, 7, 426-439. View article.



• Structure of Triplet Propynylidene, Randal A. Seburg, Jeffrey T. DePinto, Eric V. Patterson, and Robert J. McMahon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1995, 117, 835-836. View article.



• Structure and Rearrangements of 1,3-Diphenylpropynylidene, Jeffrey T. DePinto and Robert J. McMahon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1993, 115, 12573-12574. View article.



• Gas Phase Photodissociation of (⁵-Cyclopentadienyl)Fe(CO)₂R and (⁵-Indenyl)Fe(CO)₂R in a Molecular Beam: Competitive Loss of Alkyl Radical and Alkene Detected by Vacuum-Ultraviolet Ionization and Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry, Jeffrey A. Bartz, Terence M. Barnhart, Douglas B. Galloway, L. Gregory Huey, Thomas Glenewinkel-Meyer, Robert J. McMahon, and F. Fleming Crim, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1993, 115, 8389-8395. View article.



• UV Photodissociation and Energy-Selective Ionization of Organometallic Compounds in a Molecular Beam, Jeffrey A. Bartz, Terence M. Barnhart, Douglas B. Galloway, L. Gregory Huey, Thomas Glenewinkel-Meyer, Robert J. McMahon, and F. Fleming Crim, In Laser Chemistry of Organometallics, J. Chaiken, Ed.; ACS Symposium Series No. 530, American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1993; Chapter 9.



• Structure and Reactivity of HFe(CO)₃(³-C₃H₅), Terence M. Barnhart, James De Felippis, and Robert J. McMahon, Angew. Chem. 1993, 105, 1134-1136; View article. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 1993, 32, 1073-1074. View article.



• Observation of Photoinduced Electron Transfer at a Liquid-Liquid Interface by Optical Second Harmonic Generation, Kevin L. Kott, Daniel A. Higgins, Robert J. McMahon, and Robert M. Corn, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1993, 115, 5342-5343. View article.



• Photoequilibration of 2-Naphthylcarbene and 2,3-Benzobicyclo[4.1.0]hepta-2,4,6-triene, Steven W. Albrecht and Robert J. McMahon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1993, 115, 855-859. View article.



• Ground-State Multiplicity of Halo(trifluoromethyl)carbenes, Randal A. Seburg and Robert J. McMahon, J. Org. Chem. 1993, 58, 979-980. View article.



• Kinetic Generation of cis-C₅H₅(CO)₂ReH₂ from Reaction of C₅H₅Re(-H)Pt(H)(PPh₃)₂ with Diphenylacetylene, Charles P. Casey, Robin S. Tanke, Paulette N. Hazin, Carl R. Kemnitz, and Robert J. McMahon, Inorg. Chem. 1992, 31, 5474-5479. View article.



• Photochemistry of Matrix-Isolated Diazoethane and Methyldiazirine: Ethylidene Trapping?, Randal A. Seburg and Robert J. McMahon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1992, 114, 7183-7189. View article.



• Direct Spectroscopic Observation of a Thermal C-H Bond Insertion Reaction at 10 K: Intramolecular Rearrangement of Fe(CO)₃(²-C₃H₆) to Produce HFe(CO)₃(³-C₃H₅), Terence M. Barnhart and Robert J. McMahon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1992, 114, 5434-5435. View article.



• Isomerism in Coordinatively Unsaturated Fe(CO)₃(²-Alkene) Complexes, Terence M. Barnhart, Richard F. Fenske, and Robert J. McMahon, Inorg. Chem. 1992, 31, 2679-2681. View article.



• Regiochemistry of Acylation of Ferrocenylarylethylenes, Kevin L. Kott and Robert J. McMahon, J. Org. Chem. 1992, 57, 3097-3101. View article.



• Spectroscopic Detection of Excited-state Electron Transfer in Porphyrin-Viologen Systems, R. Ken Forcé, Robert J. McMahon, Jie Yu, and Mark S. Wrighton, Spectrochimica Acta, 1989, 45A, 23-30.



• Intramolecular Excited-state Electron Transfer in a Covalently Linked Porphyrin-Viologen Molecule: Direct Observation of the Charge-separated Intermediate by Resonance Raman Spectroscopy, Robert J. McMahon, R. Ken Forcé, Howard H. Patterson, and Mark S. Wrighton, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1988, 110, 2670-2672. View article.



• Rearrangements of the Isomeric Tolylmethylenes, Orville L. Chapman, Jeffery W. Johnson, Robert J. McMahon, and Paul R. West, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1988, 110, 501-509. View article.


• 1,2,4,6-Cycloheptatetraene: The Key Intermediate in Arylcarbene Interconversions and Related C₇H₆ Rearrangements, Robert J. McMahon, Christopher J. Abelt, Orville L. Chapman, Jeffery W. Johnson, Curtis L. Kreil, Jean-Pierre LeRoux, Anne M. Mooring, and Paul R. West, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1987, 109, 2456-2469. View article.



• Direct Spectroscopic Observation of Intramolecular Hydrogen Shifts in Carbenes, Robert J. McMahon and Orville L. Chapman, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1987, 109, 683-692. View article.



• Triplet Ground-state Cycloheptatrienylidene, Robert J. McMahon and Orville L. Chapman, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1986, 108, 1713-1714. View article.



• Benzobicyclo[4.1.0]hepta-2,4,6-trienes, Paul R. West, Anne M. Mooring, Robert J. McMahon, and Orville L. Chapman, J. Org. Chem. 1986, 51, 1316-1320. View article.



• Mechanistic Studies on the Wolff Rearrangement: The Chemistry and Spectroscopy of Some -Ketocarbenes, Robert J. McMahon, Orville L. Chapman, Richard A. Hayes, Thomas C. Hess, and Hans-Peter Krimmer, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1985, 107, 7597-7606. View article.



• Rearrangements of Tolylmethylenes via Cycloheptatetraenes: Formation of Benzocyclobutene and Styrene, Orville L. Chapman, Robert J. McMahon, and Paul R. West, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1984, 106, 7973-7974. View article.



• Photochemical Wolff Rearrangement of a Triplet Ground-state Carbene, Richard A. Hayes, Thomas C. Hess, Robert J. McMahon, and Orville L. Chapman, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1983, 105, 7786-7787. View article.



• Organometallic -Complexes of Silacycles, Robert J. McMahon, Coord. Chem. Rev. 1982, 47, 1-14.



• Stereoselectivity of Lithium Aluminum Hydride and Lithium Alkoxyaluminohydride Reductions of 3,3,5-Trimethylcyclohexanone in Diethyl Ether, Robert J. McMahon, Karl E. Wiegers, and Stanley G. Smith, J. Org. Chem. 1981, 46, 99-101. View article.

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Last updated January 24, 2008.