Simon Blakey, PhD

Research Program

Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics
Phone Number

404-727-6738
Email Address

sblakey@emory.edu

Biography

Simon B. Blakey, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at Emory University. He came to Emory University in 2005 after completing his postdoctoral training at California Institute of Technology. He is a member of the Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute.

Education

Dr. Blakey received his PhD in Chemistry from University of Cambridge (UK) in 2002. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the California Institute of Technology in 2005.

Titles & Roles

Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry

Emory University

Research

The goal of Dr. Blakey's research is to develop synthetic methodology that will allow to prepare members of the malagashanine alkaloids – a structurally novel class of alkaloids that have been shown to potentiate chloroquine against chloroquine resistant malaria parasites. The synthetic methodology development and total synthesis activities will provide material that will be used to evaluate the mechanism of action of malagashanine. Additionally, the flexible synthetic strategy will allow and SAR study to be undertaken.

Publications

Title/Journal	Authors	Publication Date
Discovery and Development of an Aerobic Radical Hydroxyarylation Reaction Using Aryl Halides, Olefins, and O₂. Organic letters	MC Maust, D Tuncaral, SB Blakey	05/02/2025
Chemical Modifications to Enhance the Drug Properties of a VIP Receptor Antagonist (ANT) Peptide. International journal of molecular sciences	C Lester, JM Li, T Passang, Y Wang, EK Waller, SB Blakey	04/16/2024
Photoredox-Driven Three-Component Coupling of Aryl Halides, Olefins, and O₂. ACS catalysis	MC Maust, SB Blakey	02/16/2024
Enantioselective Aziridination of Unactivated Terminal Alkenes Using a Planar Chiral Rh(III) Indenyl Catalyst. Journal of the American Chemical Society	P Gross, H Im, D Laws, B Park, MH Baik, SB Blakey	01/17/2024
Synthesis, stereochemical assignment, and enantioselective catalytic activity of late transition metal planar chiral complexes. Chemical Society reviews	D Laws, CD Poff, EM Heyboer, SB Blakey	08/29/2023
Defluoroalkylation of Trifluoromethylarenes with Hydrazones: Rapid Access to Benzylic Difluoroarylethylamines. Organic letters	CM Hendy, CJ Pratt, NT Jui, SB Blakey	03/10/2023
Synthesis of Ribosomally Synthesized and Post-Translationally Modified Peptides Containing C-C Cross-Links. Journal of natural products	D Laws, EV Plouch, SB Blakey	10/28/2022
Switchable Regioselective 6-endo or 5-exo Radical Cyclization via Photoredox Catalysis. Journal of the American Chemical Society	MC Maust, CM Hendy, NT Jui, SB Blakey	03/09/2022
Synthetic Routes for Heteroatom-Containing Alkylated/Arylated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons. Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)	Q Shi, X Shi, C Feng, Y Wu, N Zheng, J Liu, X Wu, H Chen, A Peng, J Li, L Jiang, H Fu, Z Xie, SR Marder, SB Blakey, H Huang	02/08/2021
Recent advances in oxidative allylic C-H functionalization via group IX-metal catalysis. Chemical communications (Cambridge, England)	AM Kazerouni, QA McKoy, SB Blakey	11/11/2020
Allylic C-H functionalization via group 9 π-allyl intermediates. Dalton transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003)	TAF Nelson, MR Hollerbach, SB Blakey	10/20/2020
Designing a Planar Chiral Rhodium Indenyl Catalyst for Regio- and Enantioselective Allylic C-H Amidation. Journal of the American Chemical Society	CMB Farr, AM Kazerouni, B Park, CD Poff, J Won, KR Sharp, MH Baik, SB Blakey	08/12/2020
The Mechanism of Rhodium-Catalyzed Allylic C-H Amination. Journal of the American Chemical Society	RJ Harris, J Park, TAF Nelson, N Iqbal, DC Salgueiro, J Bacsa, CE MacBeth, MH Baik, SB Blakey	03/25/2020
C-H Functionalization Approach for the Synthesis of Chiral C₂-Symmetric 1,5-Cyclooctadiene Ligands. Organic letters	B Zhang, MR Hollerbach, SB Blakey, HML Davies	12/20/2019
Regioselective Cp*Ir(III)-Catalyzed Allylic C-H Sulfamidation of Allylbenzene Derivatives. The Journal of organic chemistry	AM Kazerouni, TAF Nelson, SW Chen, KR Sharp, SB Blakey	10/18/2019
Intermolecular Allylic C-H Etherification of Internal Olefins. Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)	TAF Nelson, SB Blakey	11/05/2018
Recent Developments in C-H Activation for Materials Science in the Center for Selective C-H Activation. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)	J Zhang, LJ Kang, TC Parker, SB Blakey, CK Luscombe, SR Marder	04/16/2018
Regioselective Intermolecular Allylic C-H Amination of Disubstituted Olefins via Rhodium/π-Allyl Intermediates. Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)	JS Burman, SB Blakey	10/23/2017
Synthesis and C-H Functionalization Chemistry of Thiazole-Semicoronenediimides (TsCDIs) and -Coronenediimides (TCDIs). The Journal of organic chemistry	Q Shi, ES Andreansky, SR Marder, SB Blakey	10/06/2017
Stereochemical Complexity in Oxocarbenium-Ion-Initiated Cascade Annulations for the Synthesis of the ABCD Core of Mattogrossine. The Journal of organic chemistry	A Kong, ES Andreansky, SB Blakey	04/21/2017
An Iminium Ion Cascade Annulation Strategy for the Synthesis of Akuammiline Alkaloid Pentacyclic Core Structures. Organic letters	ES Andreansky, SB Blakey	12/16/2016
KO(t)Bu-Initiated Aryl C-H Iodination: A Powerful Tool for the Synthesis of High Electron Affinity Compounds. Journal of the American Chemical Society	Q Shi, S Zhang, J Zhang, VF Oswald, A Amassian, SR Marder, SB Blakey	03/30/2016
Cobalt catalyzed sp³ C-H amination utilizing aryl azides. Chemical science	O Villanueva, NM Weldy, SB Blakey, CE MacBeth	11/01/2015
Ir-Catalyzed enantioselective group transfer reactions. Chemical Society reviews	AG Schafer, SB Blakey	10/07/2015
A C-H functionalization protocol for the direct synthesis of benzobisthiazole derivatives. The Journal of organic chemistry	JL Bon, D Feng, SR Marder, SB Blakey	08/15/2014
Unveiling latent α-iminocarbene reactivity for intermolecular cascade reactions through alkyne oxidative amination. Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)	N Mace, AR Thornton, SB Blakey	05/27/2013
Copper-catalyzed olefin aminoacetoxylation. Organic letters	DE Mancheno, AR Thornton, AH Stoll, A Kong, SB Blakey	09/17/2010
Rhodium catalyzed allene amination: diastereoselective synthesis of aminocyclopropanes via a 2-amidoallylcation intermediate. Journal of the American Chemical Society	AH Stoll, SB Blakey	02/24/2010
Pi-nucleophile traps for metallonitrene/alkyne cascade reactions: a versatile process for the synthesis of alpha-aminocyclopropanes and beta-aminostyrenes. Journal of the American Chemical Society	AR Thornton, VI Martin, SB Blakey	02/25/2009
Catalytic metallonitrene/alkyne metathesis: a powerful cascade process for the synthesis of nitrogen-containing molecules. Journal of the American Chemical Society	AR Thornton, SB Blakey	04/16/2008
Enantioselective C-H amination using cationic ruthenium(II)-pybox catalysts. Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)	E Milczek, N Boudet, S Blakey	01/01/2008

Awards

Dr. Blakey has earned the following awards and honors:

Phi Beta Kappa, Recognition for Excellence in Teaching and Mentorship, 2010
NSF Career Award, 2009
Thieme Synlett/Synthesis Journal Award, 2009
Lilly New Faculty Award, 2005
Commonwealth Scholarship to the University of Cambridge, 2001
Trinity College External Research Scholarship, 2001