Faculty
George W. Kabalka, PhD
Professor, The Robert H. Cole Neuroscience Chair
Director, Basic Research, Biomedical Imaging Center,
UT Graduate School of Medicine
Education
B.S. degree in chemistry, the University of Michigan,1965. Ph.D Purdue University (under the guidance of Professor Herbert C. Brown), 1970. Dr. Kabalka joined the UT Knoxville chemistry faculty in 1970, was named the Robert H. Cole Professor in 1994, and is a consultant to Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge Associated Universities.
The University of Tennessee
611 Buehler Hall
Knoxville, Tennessee 37916
(865) 974-3260
E-mail: kabalka@novell.chem.utk.edu
Research
"Research efforts are focused on developing new synthetic methods. We utilize organometallic reagents extensively and have a continuing interest in organoborane chemistry. A special emphasis is placed on reactions which can be utilized to incorporate short-lived, positron emitting isotopes of use in modern medical imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET). In recent years, we have developed new, rapid synthetic routes to complex organic molecules containing nitrogen-13 (t1/2=10 minutes) and oxygen-15 (t1/2=2 minutes) which are physiologically active. We are currently examining new methods for incorporating carbon-11 (t1/2=20 minutes) using organoborane reactions involving carbon monoxide as outlined below.
In many instances, the boron compounds are of interest in their own right. For example, para-boronophenylalanine (BPA) is currently being evaluated as an agent for destroying tumors in a technique known as boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). We are preparing the carbon-11 labeled analog for potential use in screening BNCT agents prior to treatment.
We are also interested in the development of physiologically active agents containing NMR active nuclei for use in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Agents containing carbon-13, fluorine-19, and boron-10 (for BNCT) are being synthesized and evaluated in our laboratories. Agents containing metal ions such as gadolinium are also of interest due to their effect on the relaxation rates of neighboring hydrogen nuclei; our research efforts have been directed at gadolinium analogs of agents such as fatty acids and steroids which are known to accumulate in heart muscle and certain tumors. My research group collaborates extensively with neighboring hospital-based research groups and the National Laboratories. This collaboration offers my students an opportunity to carry out a portion of their graduate studies in non-traditional settings."
Representative Publications
D.A. Willis, G.W. Kabalka, R.M. Pagni, "Bromination of Vinylboronic Acids on Alumina," J. Organomet. Chem. 1995, 487, 35.
G.W. Kabalka, J.T. Maddox, E. Bogas, "A Facile Alkylation of Aryl Aldehyde Tosylhydrazones with Trialkylboranes," J. Org. Chem. 1994, 59, 5530.
G.W. Kabalka, C. Narayana, N.K. Reddy, "Nickel Catalyzed Hydroboration with Catecholborane," Synth. Commun. 1994, 24, 1019.
G. Hondrogiannis, Lay Choo Tan, R.M. Pagni, G.W. Kabalka, S. Herold, E. Ross, J.F. Green, M. McGinnis, "Alumina as Reagent. The One-step Conversion of Benzyl Chloride and Bromide in Dibenzyl Ether," Tetrahedron Lett. 1994, 35, 6211.
M.M. Goodman, M.P. Kung, G.W. Kabalka, H.F. Kung, R. Switzer, "Synthesis and Characterization of Radioiodinated N-(3-lodopropen-2-yl)-2b-Carbomethoxy-3b-(4-chlorophenyl)tropanes: Potential Dopamine Reuptake Site Imaging Agents," J. Med. Chem. 1994, 37, 1535.
G.W. Kabalka, ed., "Current Topics in the Chemistry of Boron," The Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge UK, 1994.
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