Education & Training

DPhil Organic Chemistry (2021)
University of Oxford
Thesis title: The reactivity of strained carbocycles
Advisors: Fernanda Duarte & Ed Anderson

MChem Chemistry (2017)
University of Oxford
Thesis title: Toward the total synthesis of Heronamides C & F
Advisor: Ed Anderson

Research Interests

Interface of reaction mechanisms and electronic structure, through the development of energy decomposition analysis tools, investigation of organometallic reactions, and the study of unusual molecules.

Selected Publications

First Author

1. Mechanistic insights into the origins of selectivity in a Cu-catalyzed C–H amidation reaction
   A. J. Sterling,*^‡ N. Ciccia,^‡ Y. Guo, J. F. Hartwig* & M. Head-Gordon*
   J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c13822.
2. Chemical bonding and the role of node-induced electron confinement
   A. J. Sterling, D. S. Levine, A. Aldossary & M. Head-Gordon*
   ChemRxiv 2023, https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv-2023-1lprg.
3. Beyond strain release: Delocalization-enabled organic reactivity
   A. J. Sterling,* R. C. Smith, E. A. Anderson* & F. Duarte*
   ChemRxiv 2021, https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv-2021-n0xm9-v3.
4. Rationalizing the diverse reactivity of [1.1.1]propellane through σ–π-delocalization
   A. J. Sterling, A. B. Dürr, R. C. Smith, E. A. Anderson* & F. Duarte*
   Chem. Sci. 2020, 11, 4895–4903.
5. Selectivity in organocatalysis—From qualitative to quantitative predictive models
   A. J. Sterling, S. Zavitsanou, J. Ford & F. Duarte*
   WIREs Comput Mol Sci. 2021, 11, e1518.
6. Visible Light Photoredox-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Alkylation of 3-Aryl-Oxetanes and Azetidines via Benzylic Tertiary Radicals and Implications of Benzylic Radical Stability
   M. A. J. Dubois,^‡ J. J. Rojas,^‡ A. J. Sterling,^‡ H. C. Broderick, M. A. Smith, A. J. P. White, P. W. Miller, C. Choi, J. J. Mousseau, F. Duarte* & J. A. Bull*
   J. Org. Chem. 2023, 88, 6476–6488.

Contributing Author (for a full, up-to-date list, visit my Google Scholar page)

1. Synthesis of meta-substituted arene bioisosteres from [3.1.1]propellane
   N. Frank, J. Nugent, B. R. Shire, H. D. Pickford, P. Rabe, A. J. Sterling, T. Zarganes-Tzitzikas, T. Grimes, A. L. Thompson, R. C. Smith, C. J. Schofield, P. E. Brennan, F. Duarte, E. A. Anderson*
   Nature 2022, 611, 721–726.
2. Amino-oxetanes as amide isosteres by an alternative defluorosulfonylative coupling of sulfonyl fluorides
   J. J. Rojas, R. A. Croft, A. J. Sterling, E. L. Briggs, D. Antermite, D. C. Schmitt, L. Blagojevic, P. Haycock, A. J. P. White, F. Duarte, C. Choi, J. J. Mousseau & J. A. Bull*
   Nat. Chem. 2022, 14, 160–169.
3. Direct catalytic asymmetric synthesis of α-chiral bicyclo [1.1. 1] pentanes
   M. L. J. Wong, A. J. Sterling, J. J. Mousseau, F. Duarte* & E. A. Anderson*
   Nat. Commun. 2021, 12, 1644.
4. autodE: automated calculation of reaction energy profiles—application to organic and organometallic reactions
   T. A. Young, J. J. Silcock, A. J. Sterling & F. Duarte*
   Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 4266–4274.
5. A Novel Automated Screening Method for Combinatorially Generated Small Molecules
   P. Yu,* A. J. Sterling* & J. Hein*
   J. Chem. Inf. Model. 2020, 61, 1637–1646.