Research

Research

Emerson/Stokes Research Group

The Emerson/Stokes Research Group (ESRG) comprises a multifaceted team of scientists who share a keen interest in exploring innovative reactions and processes that intersect the realms of inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry. The primary focus of research within the ESRG centers on chemical and biochemical systems, primarily prioritizing the chemistry of first-row transition metal ions, with a special emphasis on the pivotal role played by their ligand architecture in governing their chemical behavior. Our approach to investigating these systems encompasses a multifaceted toolkit that draws from the fields of biology, biochemistry, biophysics, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and catalysis. If you are enthusiastic about collaborating with us or becoming a part of our team, please do not hesitate to get in touch!

Our Group

Intro Slide
Our group members
Members of the Emerson/Stokes Research Group at the Spring 2023 ACS National Meeting in Indianapolis.
Three
From left to right: Amanda Perkins (undergraduate), Dr. Mitu Sharma (post-doc), and Katie Power (graduate student)
Caden at the Hood
Undergraduate researcher Caden Andrews setting up reactions in the fume hood.
Mahshid with Poster
Graduate student Mahshid Attarroshan presenting her poster at the 2025 Lester Andrews Graduate Research Symposium (LAGRS).
Mohsen and Riley
Mohsen Teimouri (graduate student) with his undergraduate mentee, Riley Thompson, at the 2025 MSU Summer Undergraduate Research Showcase.

Catalysis

Catalysis Title
Multiple Copper NHCs
Five copper NHC complexes with different colors and some glow under ultraviolet light
Tricopper CF3 complex
Trinuclear copper(I) complex that incorporates NHC ligands
Crystals
Various metal complexes and ligands
Copper NHC complexes under UV and natural light
Copper NHC complexes under UV and natural light
Benzimidazole-based ligand bound to copper
Benzimidazole-based ligand bound to copper
Column Chromatography
Preparative column chromatography
Asymmetric Copper Carbene
Asymmetric N-heterocyclic carbene bound to copper
Recrystallization
Recrystallization of ligands
Proline
Chiral 8-aminoquinoline ligand
Solutions
Solutions of ligands and metal ions
Symmetric copper NHC with 4-chloropyridyl groups
Symmetric, copper NHC with para-chloropyridines
TLC Plates
TLC plates uses to track reaction progress
Copper(II) tetradentate NHC complex
Copper(II) tetradentate NHC complex
Our synthetic lab space
Our synthetic lab space
Cyclic voltammograms of some of our metal complexes
Cyclic voltammograms of some of our metal complexes

Biochemical Applications

Biochemical Title
Carbonic Anhydrase Reactions
Utilization of human carbonic anhydrase to do organic transformations.
Transcription Factor AdcR
Designing inhibitors for the transcription factor AdcR from S. pneumoniae.
Our biochemistry lab space
Our biological lab space

Undergraduate Research

Undergrad Title
Riley Thompson
Riley Thompson, a biological sciences major and soccer player at MSU, presented her poster at the 2025 MSU Summer Undergraduate Research Showcase. Over the summer, she worked on the synthesis and characterization of chiral benzimidazole-based Ru(II) complexes that serve as efficient catalysts for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones.
Akaylin Echols
Akaylin Echols, a chemistry and biology double major from Tuskegee University, presented her poster at the 2025 MSU Summer Undergraduate Research Showcase. Her project focused on AutoDock modeling of ThaL, a flavin-dependent halogenase, to investigate substrate binding interactions within the protein.
Aftyn
Aftyn Rankins, an MSU biochemistry major, presenting her poster during the MSU Summer 2024 Undergraduate Research Symposium. She has been contributing to our tryptophan halogenase PyrH project, working on protein purification.
Zori Jackson
Zori Jackson, a chemistry major from our department, presenting her poster at the MSU Summer 2024 Undergraduate Research Symposium. She has working on the purification of the tryptophan halogenase, RebH, as well as some docking and molecular modeling of substrates in its active site.
Bryan Chacon Vazquez
Bryan Chacon Vazquez, an REU student from Emory University, presenting his poster from the Emerson/Stokes group during the MSU Summer 2024 Undergraduate Research Symposium. He prepared a variety of chalcones that will be derivatized using transition metal catalysis.
Autumn
Autumn Locke, a senior chemistry major from MSU, presenting her poster from the Emerson/Stokes laboratory during the Summer 2024 Undergraduate Research Symposium. She has made significant contributions to the synthesis of some copper(II) tetradentate NHC complexes as well as their full characterization.
Caden Andrews
Caden Andrews, a junior-level chemistry major in our department, presenting his poster at the MSU Summer 2024 Undergraduate Research Symposium. Caden has contributed to our metal-catalyzed chalcone modification project.
James Akin
James Akin, a student majoring in Animal and Dairy Science, presented his research poster from the Emerson/Stokes laboratory during the MSU Spring 2023 Undergraduate Research Symposium. James has made significant contributions as a coauthor to two publications within our group.
Erin Matthews
Erin Matthews, an undergraduate majoring in Biochemistry, presented her research poster from the Emerson/Stokes laboratory at the Summer 2022 Undergraduate Research Symposium. Erin has been a contributing member of our group and has one publication with us.
Alanna Hauer
Alanna Hauer, a Chemical Engineering undergraduate, showcased her research conducted in the Emerson/Stokes laboratory during the MSU Summer 2021 Undergraduate Research Symposium. Alanna has contributed to one publication with our research group.
Jacob
Jacob Solis, a summer REU student from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, presenting his research poster that the 2021 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium.