Dr. Hutchins has maintained an active research program in synthetic and structural organic chemistry involving Postdoctoral Fellows, Ph.D. and M.S. candidates and undergraduates, supported by the Petroleum Research Foundation, NSF, the U.S. Navy Aero Materials Lab, by Ventron Corporation and by the Advanced Technology Center. He is amember of ACS, Phi Lambda Upsilon (faculty advisor), Sigma Xi and the Philadelphia Organic Chemists' Club (Chairman,1982-83). His approximately 100 publications cover a range of novel synthetic methods and structural studies.
"The main thrust of our research program involves the search and exploration of new and useful synthetic reagents and techniques with particular emphasis on chemo-, stereo-, and enantioselective procedures. One major interest involves modified hydride transfer reagents such as cyanoborohydride and alkyl cyanoborohydrides which provide unique and controllable systems for various selective transformations both for laboratory and industrial applications. In addition, thc immobilization of hydrides on polymer supports shows great promise as reagents which offer the attractive features of simple reactions and product isolation and retention of spent reagent on the polymer. Other interests include the use of hydride reagents in organometallic chemistry, the utility of transition metalboron hydride complexes in organic chemistry and novel phase-transfer oxidants. We also are actively engaged in structural and stereochemical investigations of phosphorus heterocylces, primarily via NMR techniques."
E.L. Eliel, X. Bai, A.F. Abdel-Magid and R.O. Hutchins, "An Improved Synthesis of 2-Oxathianyl Ketones", J. Org. Chem., 55, 4951 (1990).
R. O. Hutchins and M. K. Hutchins, "Reduction of C=N to CHNH by Metal Hydrides," in Comprehensive Organic Synthesis, B. N. Trost and I. Fleming, Eds., Vol. 8, Pergamon Press, (1991).
R. O. Hutchins and M. K. Hutchins, "Reduction of C=X to CH2 by Wolff-Kishner and other Hydrazone Methods," in Comprehensive Organic Synthesis, B. N. Trost and I. Fleming, Eds., Vol. 8, Pergamon Press, (1991).
J. Wei, R. O. Hutchins and J. Prol, "A Superior and General Synthesis of Enantioenriched 2- Oxathianyl Ketones," J. Org. Chem., 58, 2920, (1993).
Q-C. Zhu, R. O. Hutchins and M. K. Hutchins, "Asymmetric Reductions of Carbon-Nitrogen Double Bonds. A Review," Org. Prep. Proced. Int., 26, 193 (1994).
R.O.Hutchins,J.Wei and S.J. Rao,"Preparation of N-Diprotected Allylic Amines via Palladium(o)-Catalyzed Coupling Reactions" J. Org. Chem.,59,4007(1994)
E. L. Eliel, X. Bai, A. F. Abdel-Magid and R. O. Hutchins, "An Improved Synthesis of 2-Oxathianyl Ketones," J. Org. Chem., 55, 4951, (1990).
R. O. Hutchins and M. K. Hutchins, "Reduction of C=N to CHNH by Metal Hydrides," in Comprehensive Organic Synthesis, B. N. Trost and I. Fleming, Eds., Vol. 8, Pergamon Press, (1991) p 25.
R. O. Hutchins and M. K. Hutchins, "Reduction of C=X to CH2 by Wolff-Kishner and other Hydrazone Methods," in Comprehensive Organic Synthesis, B. N. Trost and I. Fleming, Eds., Vol. 8, Pergamon Press, (1991) p327.
J. Wei, R. O. Hutchins and J. Prol, "A Superior and General Synthesis of Enantioenriched 2-Oxathianyl Ketones," J. Org. Chem., 58, 2920, (1993).
Q-C. Zhu, R. O. Hutchins and M. K. Hutchins, "Asymmetric Reductions of Carbon-Nitrogen Double Bonds. A Review," Org. Prep. Proced. Int., 26, 193 (1994).
R. O. Hutchins, J. Wei and S. J. Rao, "Preparation of N-Diprotected Allylic Amines via Palladium(0)-Catalyzed Coupling Reactions," J. Org. Chem., 59, 4007 (1994).
R. O. Hutchins and M. K. Hutchins, "Magnesium-Methanol," Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis, Paquette, L. A., Ed; John Wiley & Sons, New York,1995, 5, 3202.
R. O. Hutchins and M. K. Hutchins, "Sodium Cyanoborohydride," Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis, Paquette, L. A., Ed; John Wiley & Sons, New York,1995, 7, 4539.
R. O. Hutchins and M. K. Hutchins, "Tetrabutylammonium Cyanoborohydride," Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis, Paquette, L. A., Ed; John Wiley & Sons, New York,1995, 7, 4726.
R. O. Hutchins and M. K. Hutchins, "Bis(triphenylphosphine)copper (I) Cyanoborohydride," Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis, Paquette, L. A., Ed; John Wiley & Sons, New York,1995, 1, 618.
R. O. Hutchins, J. Adams and M. C. Rutledge, “Stereoselective Hydride Reductions of Cyclic N-Diphenylphosphinyl Imines. Highly Diastereoselective Synthesis of Protected Primary Amines,” J. Org. Chem., 60, 7396 (1995).
H. M. Reyes-Rivera, R. O. Hutchins and D. R. Dalton, “2-Carbaloximes of Pyridine 4 and 5 Carboxylic Acids,” J. Hetercycl. Chem., 32, 665 (1995).
R. O. Hutchins, Q-C Zhu, J. Adams, S. J. Rao, E. Oskay, A. F. Abdel-Magid and M. G. Hutchins, “Diastereo- and Enantioselective Hydride Reductions of Ketone Phosphinyl Imines to Phosphinyl Amines: Synthesis of Protected Amines and Amino Acids, ACS Sym. Series 641, p 127 (1996).
Hutchins, R. O.; Rao, S. Adams, J.; Hutchins, M. “Stereoselective Hydride Reductions of Cyclic a,b-Unsaturated N-Diphenylphosphinyl Imines to Protected Allylic Amines” J. Org. Chem 63, 8077 (1998).