Zerubba Levi, Chemistry Professor

• BIOGRAPHY:

  Coming from a single parent, low income household, I was the first person in my family to go to college. I graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Chemistry from Gonzaga Univeristy Links to an external site., and hold a Master of Science (M.S.) in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. While at Berkeley, I performed organometallic materials research in the lab of Don Tilley Links to an external site., exploring the synthesis of pentalene Links to an external site.-based materials using palladium catalysts. I have also taught Chemistry at Skyline College in San Bruno Links to an external site., California, and at the University of California, Berkeley Links to an external site. as the Director of the Digital Chemistry Project Links to an external site.. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy gardening, cooking, homebrewing, hiking, riding my motorcycle, & discussing all of the cool chemistry in each of these hobbies.

   
  
  RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS:

   

  • "Synthesis and electronic properties of extended, fused-ring aromatic systems containing multiple pentalene units.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 11012-11014. Links to an external site.

  • "Versatile synthesis of pentalene derivatives via the Pd-catalyzed homocoupling of Haloenynes." J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 2796-2797. Links to an external site.

  • "(2,2-Bipyridyl)bis(eta5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)strontium(II)." Acta. Cryst. 2008, E64, m1134. Links to an external site.  Links to an external site.

  • "Intervalence transitions in the mixed-valence monocations of bis(triarylamines) linked with vinylene and phenylene-vinylene bridges." J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 16900-16911. Links to an external site.

  • "A mixed-valence bis(diarylamino)stilbene: crystal structure and comparison of electronic coupling with biphenyl and tolane analogues." Chem. Commun. 2005, 764-766. Links to an external site.