About

Andrei Vedernikov is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Maryland, College Park, since 2012. He holds a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree in Organic & Physical Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Kazan State University, with his academic background including a Master’s degree in Organic Chemistry from the same institution. His professional experience includes positions as an Assistant Professor and Associate Professor at Kazan State University, a Research Associate at Indiana University with Prof. K.G. Caulton, and faculty roles at the University of Maryland. His research interests focus on organotransition metal chemistry, transition metal and photoredox catalysis, and reaction mechanisms studied through experimental and computational methods such as DFT. Vedernikov develops and explores mechanistically new methods for oxidative C-H and M-C bond functionalization, aiming to design catalytic transformations that functionalize kinetically inert bonds and molecules. His work involves various bond-breaking and bond-making steps at transition metal centers, including Pt and Pd, and is supported by detailed mechanistic studies. He has mentored numerous students and has contributed to advancing the understanding of organometallic reactions, including discovering and studying new reaction mechanisms.

Research topics

• Chemistry
• Crystallography
• Medicinal chemistry
• Materials science
• Stereochemistry

Selected publications

• Balz–Schiemann-Type Oxidative C(sp³)–H Fluorination of Alkanes and Alkylarenes

  Organic Letters · 2025-08-15

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  -Aroyloxyquinuclidinium tetrafluoroborates allow for efficient Balz-Schiemann-type oxidative C-H fluorination of donors of 1°, 2° and 3° benzylic C-H bonds used as limiting reagents under photocatalytic conditions; cyclohexane was also shown to react, albeit less efficiently.

  PublisherDOI

• Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticle Rigid Anchor Attached Pt Complex for Catalytic H/D Exchange of Aromatic Substrates

  Inorganic Chemistry · 2025-01-20 · 2 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  A Pt(II) aqua complex 5MSN supported by mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN)-immobilized sulfonated CNN pincer ligand featuring a rigid SiO3 tether was prepared. This hybrid material was tested as a catalyst in H/D exchange reactions of C(sp2)–H bonds of selected aromatic substrates and D2O-2,2,2-trifluoroethanol-d1 (TFE-d1) mixtures or CD3CO2D acting as a source of exchangeable deuterium. The catalyst immobilization served as a means to not only enable the catalyst’s recyclability but also minimize the coordination of sulfonate groups and the metal centers originating from different catalyst’s moieties that would preserve reactive PtII(OH2) fragments needed for catalytic C–H bond activation. In the same vein, the use of a rigid tether was expected to help suppress potentially strong intraparticle coordination of MSN’s silanol groups and Pt(II) that could inhibit the catalytic H/D exchange. The particle size distribution, porosity, surface area, elemental composition of 5MSN, and the pincer ligand loading were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, N2 sorption, and alkaline digestion with subsequent 1H NMR and ESI-MS analyses of the resulting solutions. It was found that 5MSN is a more active catalyst of the H/D exchange reactions of benzene, thiophene, anisole, and/or toluene than analogous molecular Pt(II) aqua complexes 1 and 5, which exhibited 2–10 times lower TON after 24 h of reaction under otherwise identical conditions. The greater activity and chemical robustness of 5MSN allowed us to effectively use the catalyst in the H/D exchange reactions with acetic acid-d4, which is a more readily available source of exchangeable deuterium than TFE-d1 at 120 °C. The recyclability of 5MSN was also demonstrated.

  PublisherDOI

• Room-Temperature Methane Activation in Dichloromethane Solutions of [LPt ^IV R(Me)(H)] ⁺ (R = Me, H; L = Substituted [2.1.1]-(2,6)-Pyridinophanes): DFT Modeling

  Organometallics · 2025-10-27

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  DFT calculations were used to explore the mechanism of methane reductive elimination from two series of platinum(IV) complexes, (211-X)PtIVMe2H+ and (211-X)PtIVMe(H)2+, where (211-X) is an X-substituted [2.1.1]-(2,6)-pyridinophane and X = H, NO2, BF3–, used as BArF4– salts (for cationic complexes), in dichloromethane solutions. The experimentally determined Gibbs free energies of activation of the reactions of the unsubstituted complexes (X = H) are a good match to the ones calculated by DFT under the assumption of realization of the dissociative mechanism of methane substitution in intermediate σ-methane complexes as the reaction rate-determining step. In this work we predict (i) facile ambient-pressure methane activation in dichloromethane solutions of (211)PtIVMe2H+ and (211)PtIVMe(H)2+ leading to their degenerate methyl fragment exchange with methane and (ii) faster methane reductive elimination reactivity of both their electron-poorer (X = NO2) and electron-richer (X = BF3–) analogues. These results may be useful for the development of low-temperature energy-efficient catalytic transformations of alkanes, including methane.

  PublisherDOI

• Oxidative Imidation of Benzylic and Cycloalkane C(sp³)–H Bond Donors Using <i>N</i>-Aroyloxyquinuclidinium Salts and Nitriles under Photoredox Catalysis

  Organic Letters · 2023-07-19 · 4 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  -aroyloxyquinuclidinium salts were prepared and used as reagents to perform efficient three-component Ritter-Mumm-type oxidative C-H imidation of donors of 1° and 2° benzylic C-H bonds used as limiting reagents with nitriles as a source of imide nitrogen under photocatalytic conditions; these reagents also exhibit somewhat lower reactivity toward cycloalkanes.

  PublisherDOI

• Oxidation of Methylplatinum(II) Complexes K[(L)Pt^IIMe] with O₂ and C(sp³)-X (X = O and C) Reductive Elimination Reactivity of Methylplatinum(IV) Products (<i>L</i>)Pt^IVMe(OH): The Effect of Structure of Sulfonated CNN-Pincer Ligands L

  Organometallics · 2022-09-28 · 5 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Two sulfonated CNN-pincer ligands L1 and L2 were used to explore the oxidative functionalization of the PtII-Me bond in derived K[(L)PtIIMe] complexes (L = L1 and L2) using O2 and H2O2 as oxidants (HL1– = (6-phenylpyrid-2-yl)(pyrid-2-yl)methanesulfonate; HL2– = (6-phenylpyrid-2-yl)-6,7-dihydro-5H-cyclopenta [b]pyridine-7-sulfonate). Oxidation with O2 of K[(L1)PtIIMe] in MeOH produced a single high-valent platinum complex, (L1)PtIVMe2, whereas the use of H2O2 led to (L1)PtIVMe(OH), 10c, and (L1)2PtIV2Me2(μ-OH)2, 14, having different configurations of a PtIV center. Oxidation of a more rigid analog, K[(L2)PtIIMe], with O2 led to diastereomeric complexes (L2)PtIVMe(OH), 11d, in MeOH and 11a (detected as an adduct with the CF3CH2O– anion) in acetone/2,2,2-trifluoroethanol mixtures. The use of H2O2 led to (L2)PtIVMe(OH), 11c, and (L2)2PtIV2Me2(μ-OH)2, 15, the analogs of 10c and 14, respectively. When heated with CF3CO2H in aqueous DMSO, MeOH, or acetone at 80 °C, (L)PtIVMe(OH) complexes produced in high yield either MeOH and MeO2CCF3 or C(sp2)-C(sp3) coupled products involving a carbon atom of pincer ligands. DFT calculations were used to analyze the observed reactivity. It was concluded that the key factors favoring the C(sp3)-O coupling are the trans-arrangement of the methyl ligand and the sulfonate group, the use of CF3CO2– as an O-nucleophile and DMSO as a solvent favoring the generation of highly electrophilic PtIVMe intermediates.

  PublisherDOI

• CCDC 2129719: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

  The Cambridge Structural Database · 2022-02-19

  datasetOpen accessSenior author

  An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures.

  PublisherDOI

• CCDC 2178559: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

  The Cambridge Structural Database · 2022-10-05

  datasetOpen accessSenior author

  An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures.

  PublisherDOI

• CCDC 2178554: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

  The Cambridge Structural Database · 2022-10-05

  datasetOpen accessSenior author

  An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures.

  PublisherDOI

• CCDC 2129715: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

  The Cambridge Structural Database · 2022-02-19

  datasetOpen accessSenior author

  An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures.

  PublisherDOI

• CCDC 2129723: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

  The Cambridge Structural Database · 2022-02-19

  datasetOpen accessSenior author

  An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Novel M-C Bond Functionalization Reactions in Aqueous and Hydrocarbon Media Involving M(II)/M(IV) Redox Couples (M = Pd, Pt)

  NSF · $456k · 2011–2015

• Developing homogeneous catalytic systems for aerobic oxidative methylation with methane

  NSF · $470k · 2018–2023

• Complexes with Semi-Labile, Facially Chelating Ligands for Organometallic Chemistry of Hydrocarbons in Aqueous Media

  NSF · $701k · 2006–2012

• Fundamental reactivity of PtII/PtIV redox couple relevant to oxidative alkane C-H bond functionalization with O2 as direct oxidant

  NSF · $470k · 2015–2019

Frequent coauthors

• Peter Y. Zavalij

  University of Maryland, College Park

  89 shared

• Arkadi Vigalok

  Tel Aviv University

  69 shared

• Kenneth G. Caulton

  Indiana University Bloomington

  36 shared

• I.S. Dubinsky-Davidchik

  University of Toronto

  23 shared

• Israel Goldberg

  23 shared

• Julia R. Khusnutdinova

  Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University

  21 shared

• Boris N. Solomonov

  Kazan Federal University

  19 shared

• Daoyong Wang

  Sichuan University

  17 shared

Labs

• Vedernikov GroupPI

Education

• DSci, Chemistry

  Kazan State University

• PhD, Chemistry

  Kazan State University

Awards & honors

• Presidential Scholarship (1994)
• Yu. T. Struchkov award in the field of organometallic chemis…
• Junior Faculty Award, College of Chemical and Life Sciences…
• NSF Special Creativity Award (2009-2011)