Leon J. Tilley (Sabbatical Fall 2010)

Dr. Leon J. Tilley, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Organic and Inorganic Chemistry at Stonehill College

Associate Professor of Chemistry, Organic and Inorganic Chemistry

Ph. D. Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 1996
B. A. Chemistry, B. A. Russian Language, Grinnell College, 1990


E-mail: ltilley@stonehill.edu
Phone: (508) 565-1145
Office: Shields Science Center, 314

Professor Tilley joined the chemistry department in 1996 after completing his Ph.D. from Indiana University. He earned B. A.'s in Chemistry and Russian Language from Grinnell College in 1990.

His Ph. D. research involved conductometric rate-constant, isotope effect, and NMR product studies of gamma- and delta-silyl substituted carbocations, as well as software design for a bipolar pulsed conductance instrument. He also spent the summer of 2000 as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Northeastern University and the summer of 2001 as a Visiting Investigator at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. He is actively engaged in undergraduate research at Stonehill College, and has had numerous SURE and chemical research students working with him on a variety of projects.

Professor Tilley's current research interests include: mechanistic studies of gamma-silyl-bridged alpha-trifluoromethyl carbocations; synthetic applications of silyl-bridged systems; new methods for the oxidation of trifluoromethyl alcohols, and synthesis of a number of small polyhedral systems including tetrahedrane and octaazadodecahedrane. He also teaches a variety of courses ranging from General Chemistry with a forensic theme to Organic Chemistry to Energy and the Environment. He is also interested in mineralogy and is an avid mineral collector. More information may be found at his faculty web site.

Courses Taught:

  • Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
  • Organic Chemistry II
  • Organic Chemistry I
  • General Chemistry
  • Energy and the Environment (Honors)
  • General Chemistry - Forensics Theme