Chemistry Department
Dr Raul Rodríguez Berríos

Raúl Rodríguez Berríos

Chemistry Graduate and Undergraduate Program

Assistant Professor of Chemistry
University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus (UPR-RP)
Office location: CN:228
Laboratory location: CN-202B
Phone: 787-764-0000 x 88514
Laboratory Phone: 787-764-0000 x 88505
email: raulr.rodriguez@upr.edu

Webpage: https://reu-prclimb.weebly.com/raul-rodriguez.html

and https://natsci.uprrp.edu/cahreus/equipo/raul-rodriguez-ph-d/

Research Interests

    • Chemical education research in organic chemistry and biochemistry:
    • The objectives are:
      • Develop new undergraduate experiments
      • Integrate technology and research-grade instrumentation in undergraduate laboratories and lectures.
      • Assess the student performance in traditional vs non-traditional lectures
      • Create new elective chemistry courses
    • Biochemistry research: study the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) of live cells.
      • Our objective is to study the OCR and ECAR rates as key indicators of mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis as well as ATP production rate in different cell lines and evaluate their response with different drugs.
    • Organic synthesis projects:
      • The objectives are:
        • The synthesis of fullerene derivatives using the Diels-Alder reaction.
        • To develop new undergraduate laboratory experiments for the synthesis of ferrocenyl derivatives using esterification and F-C Acylation reactions.
        • The synthesis of new ferrocenyl-steroids using esterification and F-C Acylation reactions
        • The synthesis of Azo-dyes to study the fluorescent and UV-Vis properties
      • Biological activity evaluation and applications:
        • The objectives are: To study the biological activity of the fullerene, ferrocenyl-esters and ketones, ferrocenyl-steroids, and azo-dyes compounds as anticancer drugs among other biological applications.

Research

Dr. Rodriguez laboratory has two areas of research: chemistry education research in organic chemistry (CEROC) and biochemistry and organic chemistry synthesis. The CEROC projects include developing new undergraduate experiments and the integration of technology in undergraduate laboratories for organic chemistry and biochemistry, and the study of the student performance in traditional vs online lectures to improve the BS chemistry curriculum and introduce new elective courses. In the area or organic synthesis, the aims include the synthesis and characterization of fullerene C60 using asymmetric catalysis and cycloaddition reactions and the functionalization of sexual hormones. The new fullerene and steroid derivates will be evaluated in terms of the potential to use as materials and new drugs candidates.

Publications:

Regiocontrolled ring opening of monoprotected 2,3-epoxy diols using alkynyl aluminum reagents. Synthesis of differentially monoprotected alkynyl triol derivatives. Authors: José A. Prieto, Jaileen Rentas Torres, Raul Rodríguez-Berrios, Synlett, 2014, vol 25, pp 433-437, DOI:10.1055/s-0033-1340332

Stereoselective VO(acac)2 Catalyzed Epoxidation Of Acyclic Homoallylic Diols. Complementary Preparation of C2-Syn-3,4-Epoxy Alcohols. Authors: Raúl R. Rodríguez-Berríos, Gerardo Torres, José A. Prieto, Tetrahedron, 2011, vol 67, pp 830-836, DOI:10.1016/j.tet.2010.11.079

Stereoselective Construction of all-anti Polypropionate Modules: Synthesis of the C5-C10 Fragment of Streptovaricin U. Authors: Wildeliz Torres; Raúl R. Rodríguez; José A. Prieto, The Journal of the Organic Chemistry, 2009, vol 74, pp 2447-2451, DOI: 10.1021/jo8026966

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