Professor Jon Tunge Selected as Recipient of February 2026 Walter and Roy Cross Professional Service Award

The Department of Chemistry congratulates Professor Jon Tunge on receiving the February 2026 Walter and Roy Cross Professional Service!

The Walter and Roy Cross Professional Service Award is a monthly competition among chemistry faculty. Every month, the Chemistry Department Chair and Associate Chairs review the peer-reviewed papers published by chemistry faculty from the three previous months to select a winner. The recipient receives a $1000 cash prize and is featured on the departmental website.

For a full list of winners, visit our Walter and Roy Cross Professional Service Award webpage. 

Recent Advances in Free Radical Reactions of gem-Bromonitroalkanes

By Deshkanwar Singh Brar and Jon Tunge

J. Org. Chem. 2026, 91, 1, 17-37. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.joc.5c02803

Nitro compounds are important precursors and intermediates for synthesizing pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, dyes, and explosives, necessitating the development of novel methods for their synthesis and functionalization. While the spin-paired chemistry of the nitroalkanes has been extensively studied, their radical reactivity is relatively underexplored. Notably, gem-bromonitroalkanes (BNAs) offer a convenient route to electron-deficient α-nitro radicals, which display the opposite electronics, and thus selectivity, compared to majority of the reported radical reactions. This underscores the importance of compiling and analyzing reactions involving this moiety. Therefore, we produced a perspective on the free-radical reactivity of BNAs, with a focus on elucidating the mechanistic underpinnings to encourage their wider adoption within the synthetic organic community.