Andrew G. Sykes, Professor, Inorganic Chemistry
1994-present, University of South Dakota ; 1992-94 Camille and Henry Dreyfus Fellow (Northern Arizona University); 1990-92 Postdoctoral Research Associate (California Institute of Technology); 1990 Ph.D., University of Minnesota; 1984 M.S., Montana State University; 1982 B.S., St. Lawrence University.
Left to Right: Dr. Sykes, Becky
Pinkelman (
Our main research emphasis involves the design of novel chemical sensors, molecules that complex other guest molecules or ions and signal a recognition event, usually through a change in response of the host molecule to light. Our approach uses an anthraquinone platform and substitutes organic directing groups on the same side of the anthraquinone. The host can then coordinate guest molecules in close proximity to one of the carbonyl groups, changing the fluorescence response of the anthraquinone. The “shrubbery” suspended by the anthraquinone can be varied, greatly influencing the frequency of emission of the anthraquinone lumophore or controlling the selectivity of the host. Currently we are investigating anthraquinone hosts responsive to hydronium ion and metal cations.
Recent Publications
Complexation, Crystallography, and
Electrochemistry of New Chelating Nicotinyl and Thiazolyl Anthraquinone Ligands, Mariappan
Kadarkaraisamy, Debdutta Mukherjee, Chin Chen Soh and
Andrew G. Sykes, Polyhedron 2007, 26, 4085.
Selective Luminescence Detection of Cadmium(II) and Mercury(II) utilizing Sulfur-Containing Anthraquinone Macrocycles (Part 2) and Formation of an unusual Hg22+- Crown Ether Dimer via Reduction of Hg(II) by DMF, Mariappan Kadarkaraisamy and Andrew G. Sykes, Polyhedron 2007, 26, 1323.
Crystallographic and Fluorescence Studies of Ammonium and Water Adducts of Anthraquinone Fluorophores, Zhen Liu and Andrew G. Sykes, Journal of Chemical Crystallography 2006, 36, 875.
Synthesis, Characterization and Photophysical Properties of Mixed Ligand Tris(polypyridyl)chromium(III) Complexes, Mauricio Isaacs, Andrew G. Sykes and Silvia Ronco, Inorganica Chimica Acta 2006, 359, 3847.
Luminescence Detection of Transition and Heavy Metals by Inversion of Excited States: Synthesis, Spectroscopy and X-ray Crystallography of Ca, Mn, Pb and Zn Complexes of 1,8-Anthraquinone-18-Crown-5, Mariappan Kadarkaraisamy and Andrew G. Sykes, Inorganic Chemistry 2006, 45, 779. http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/download.pl?ic051672z/34VT
Structural and Electronic Features Important to nπ*–ππ* inversion Sensors: Synthesis, Luminescence, and Electrochemical Properties of Sulfur and Chlorine-containing Macrocycles. Part 3, Mariappan Kadarkaraisamy, Eric Dufek, Desire Lone Elk and Andrew G. Sykes, Tetrahedron 2005, 61, 479.
"Metathesis Reactions of 2,2'-Bipyridine and 1,10-Phenanthroline Complexes of Cobalt(II) and Nickel(II): Cocrystallization of Ionization Isomers as {[cis-Ni(phen)2(H2O)2][cis-Ni(phen)2(H2O)Cl]}-(PF6)3.4.5H2O, and a Synthetic Route to Asymmetric Tris-Substituted Complexes," Boone Brewer, Neil R. Brooks, Sharina Abdul-Halim, and Andrew G. Sykes, J. Chem. Crystall. 2003, 33, 651.
"Neutron and X-ray Diffraction, Solid-State 13C NMR, and Inelastic Neutron Scattering Investigations of Polymorphic p-Chlorophenylformamide: Absence of Proton Transfer Along the Intermolecular N-H...O Hydrogen Bond," Cheok N. Tam, Victor G. Young, John Cowan, Frans R. Trouw, Arthur Schultz, and Andrew G. Sykes, J. Phys. Chem. B 2003, 107, 7601. http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/download.pl?jp034271i/D8u3
"Characterization of an Asymmetric [M(chelate)Cl2]x Dimer and Isolation of Corresponding DMSO adducts: X-ray Crystal Structures of Co(phen)2(m-Cl)2CoCl2.C4H8O and M(chelate)Cl2(DMSO)x (Co, x= 1; Ni, x = 2) complexes," Boone Brewer, Neil R. Brooks, and Andrew G. Sykes, J. Chem. Crystall. 2003, 33, 663.
"Isolation and X-ray Structure of [Ir(CNBut)5H](PF6)2," Paul Lacey and Andrew G. Sykes, J. Coord. Chem. 2003, 56, 141.
"Luminescence and Structural Comparisons of Strong-Acid Sensor Molecules. Part II," Brian Kampmann, Yiqian Lian, Kortney L. Klinkel, Paul A. Vecchi, Heidi L. Quiring, Chin Chen Soh, and Andrew G. Sykes, J. Org. Chem. 2002, 67(11), 3878-3883. http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/download.pl?jo0257344/w6Jp
"Bridging Native American Culture and Chemistry: Gas Chromatography Experiments that Examine Native Foods," Gerald Caple and Andrew G. Sykes, J. Chem. Educ., 1999, 76, 392.
"Absence of Hydronium Ion Formation in a Ternary Crown Ether•Mineral Acid•Water Complex: X-ray Crystal Structure of 1,8-Anthraquinone-18-crown-6•HNO3•3H2O," Victor G. Young, Jr. and Andrew G. Sykes, Inorg. Chem. 1998, 37, 376. http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/download.pl?ic970839o/f8qs
"Synthetic and Electrochemical Studies of Anthraquinone-Substituted Poly(pyrrole) Films," Shin Moteki and Andrew G. Sykes, J. Electroanal. Chem. 1998, 447, 91.
"A Luminescent Sensor Responsive to Common Oxoacids: X-ray Crystal Structure of [H3O•1,8-Anthraquinone- 18-crown-6]ClO4," Victor G. Young, Jr., Hiedi L. Quiring and Andrew G. Sykes, J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 1997, 119, 12477. (Also cited in Chemical and Engineering News, January 5, 1998, p. 26.) http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/download.pl?ja9727124/W6ZB
"Characterization of 2-Amino-3-hydroxyphenazine Isolated from the Chemical Oxidation of ortho-Phenylenediamine," Paul W. Iseminger, Mike Gregory, Gerald Caple, and Andrew G. Sykes, J. Org. Chem. 1997, 62, 2643. http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/download.pl?jo9622136/v4AL
"One-Step Conversion of Aryl Nitro Compounds to N-Monosubstituted Formamides", Paul Hrvatin and Andrew G. Sykes, SynLett, 1997, 1069.
Updated: January 2008.