Dr. G. Rattan K. Khalsa is a Professor of Chemistry at Thiel College. She was Assistant Professor from 1980-87, Associate Professor from 1987-92, and Full Professor from 1992 to present. She was a Visiting Professor of Chemistry at West Virginia University from 1979-80.  Dr. Khalsa has taught General Chemistry I and II, Chemistry for the Health Sciences, Introduction to Chemistry, CHEMTECH (for non-majors), Inorganic Chemistry, Biological Inorganic Chemistry, Problems in Chemistry (Undergraduate Research), Advanced Laboratory, Advanced Topics in Inorganic Chemistry, Chemical Literature, Chemistry Seminar, Honors Interdisciplinary Courses III and IV and Science and Our Global Heritage I and II.

Educational Background

Interests and Experience

Dr. Khalsa’s current research interests include small molecule activation with transition metal complexes, molecular modeling studies of organometallic and bioinorganic complexes and the separation of metal ions from waste water streams by water-soluble polymer/filtration.

She worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) during sabbatical years 1987, 1993-94, 2001 and all summers from 1986–1994 (supported on fellowships by Associated Western Universities-U.S. Department of Energy in 1986-7 and 1993-4). She was a Visiting Assistant Professor from 1979-80 at West Virginia University, Morgantown.
Dr. Khalsa’s research projects have included:

(At LANL): Extraction of fluoride and heavy metals from waste water streams by macrocyclic chelators; NMR titration studies (with Dr. Paul H. Smith). Selectivity of diphenyldithiocarbamate in americium(III)-europium(III) separations chemistry (with Dr. Gordon Jarvinen and Dr. Barbara F. Smith). Sonochemistry of high explosives, TNT, DNT, and toxic wastes, PCP's; analysis by mass spectrometry and gas chromatography (with Dr. Nancy Sauer). Small molecule activation by transition metal complexes; characterization of the reaction of CH3C(CH2PPh3)3Pt with dihydrogen; high pressure NMR studies; para-hydrogen induced polarization experiments. NMR kinetics and thermodynamics studies and protonation reactions of M(CO)3(PR3)2(?2-H2) (M = Mo, W); saturation transfer experiments and variable temperature equilibrium studies; synthesis and characterization of novel molecular hydrogen molybdenum and tungsten complexes (with Dr. Gregory J. Kubas).

Dissertation Research with Dr. Theodore L. Brown at the University of Illinois, Urbana- Champaign): Synthesis, NMR kinetics studies and characterization of ligand base adducts of methylcobalamin and methylatocobaloxime

University of Alabama with Dr. Jerry L. Atwood: Synthesis, thermal and X-ray crystallographic studies of organoaluminum complexes.

Selected Publications

1. "Boric Acid Binding Studies with Diol Containing Polyethylenimines as Determined by B NMR Spectroscopy," A. Labouriau, B. F. Smith,  G. R. K. Khalsa, T. W. Robison, J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 102, 4411- 4418. (2006).

2. "Boric Acid Recovery Using Polymer Filtration:  Studies with Alkyl Monool, Diol, and Triol Containing Polyethylenimines," B. F. Smith, T. W. Robison, B. J. Carlson, A. Labouriau, G. R. K. Khalsa, N. C. Schroeder, G. D. Jarvinen, C. R. Lubeck, S. L. Folkert, D. I. Aguino, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 97, 1590-1604.  (2005).

3. "Octaazacryptand Complexation of Fluoride Ion," S. D. Reilly, G. R. K. Khalsa, D. K. Ford, J. R. Brainard, B. P. Hay, P. H. Smith, Inorg. Chem., 34, 569 (1995).

4. "Neutron Structure and Inelastic Neutron Scattering and Theoretical Studies of Molybdenum(carbonyl)(dihydrogen)bis(diphenylphosphinoethane)(4.5 Benzene), a Complex with an Extremely Low Barrier to Dihydrogen Rotation. Implications on the Reaction Coordinate for H-H Cleavage to Dihydride," G. J. Kubas, C. J. Burns, J. Eckert, S. W. Johnson, A. C. Larson, P. J. Vergamini, C. J. Unkefer, G. R. K. Khalsa, S. A. Jackson, O. Eisenstein, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 115, 569 (1993).

5. "Dihydrogen: A Better Ligand Than Water? IR and X-Ray Evidence for Aquo Coordination in W(CO)3(PR3)2(H2O), Thermodynamics of H2O versus ?2-H2 Binding, and H2O/D2 Isotopic Exchange. Implications on the Biological Activation of Hydrogen," G. J. Kubas, C. J. Burns, G. R. K. Khalsa, L. S. Van der Sluys, G. Kiss, C. D. Hoff, Organometallics, 11, 3390 (1992).

6. "Molecular Hydrogen Complexes of the Transition Metals. 7. Kinetics and Thermodynamics of the Interconversion Between Dihydride and Dihydrogen Forms of W(CO)3(PR3)2H2 Where R = iso-Propyl and Cyclopentyl," G. R. K. Khalsa, G. J. Kubas, C. J. Unkefer, L. S. Van Der Sluys, K. A. Kubat-Martin, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 112, 3855 (1990).

7. "Thermodynamic and Kinetic Studies of Binding Nitrogen and Hydrogen to Complexes of Chromium, Molybdenum, and Tungsten," A. A. Gonzalez, K. Zhang, S. L. Mukerjee, C. D. Hoff, G. R. K. Khalsa, G. J. Kubas, in Bonding and Energetics in Organometallic Compounds, ed. T. J. Marks, American Chemical Society: Washington, D.C. 1990.