Rate My Professor James Bour

The Bour Lab addresses challenges in catalysis and organic reaction development through the design and synthesis of new catalyst platforms in solution and solid phases. The group exploits long-range molecular order in supramolecular assemblies and porous organic solids to enable highly selective chemical transformations. Research emphasizes the synthesis of novel porous organic materials and the synthetic applications of organometallics confined within them. Lab members are trained in organometallic chemistry, materials chemistry, organic synthesis, and inorganic synthesis. Bour's expertise spans catalysis, organometallics, porous organic materials, and methodology development. His influential publications include “Base-Free Nickel-Catalyzed Decarbonylative Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling of Acid Fluorides” (Nature, 2018, co-authored), “Carbon-Carbon Bond-Forming Reductive Elimination from Isolated Ni(III) Complexes” (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2016), “Oxidation of NiII to NiIV with Aryl Electrophiles Enables Ni-Mediated Ar-CF3 Coupling” (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2015), “Connecting Organometallic Ni(III)/(IV): Reactions of Carbon-Centered Radicals with High-Valent Organonickel Complexes” (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2019), and “Relationships Between Defectivity and Porosity in High Surface Area Porous Aromatic Frameworks” (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2023). Bour serves on the department's Warrior Strong Committee to foster inclusive chemistry education.