{"id":8514,"date":"2024-01-30T10:51:06","date_gmt":"2024-01-30T18:51:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/chemistry\/?page_id=8514"},"modified":"2026-07-22T07:50:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T14:50:26","slug":"o-maduka-ogba","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/chemistry\/faculty-staff\/o-maduka-ogba\/","title":{"rendered":"O. Maduka Ogba"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Assistant Professor of Chemistry <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

B.S., Trinity University <\/strong>
PhD, Oregon State University<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ogba Research Group uses quantum chemical calculations and data-science workflows to decode the stereoelectronic interactions governing chemical reactivity. We use computational tools to explain experimental observations and more importantly, to serve as a predictive engine for rational experimental design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catalysts drive over 80% of manufactured products and contribute significantly to global industrial infrastructure. However, there is an urgent need to transition away from scarce, precious transition metals toward more sustainable, earth-abundant alternatives. Our group operates at the intersection of computational physical organic chemistry, main-group methodology, and chemical data science to address these challenges across two primary research thrusts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Main-Group & s-Block Lewis Acid Catalysis:<\/strong> Investigating earth-abundant metal salts (e.g., calcium, zinc) and heterolytic bond activation strategies (such as sulfur(VI)\u2013fluorine exchange (SuFEx) click chemistry and host-pathway bacterial oxidation mechanisms, to understand how coordination environments modulate reactivity and solve thermodynamic traps.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Zerovalent Group 14 Organocatalysis:<\/strong> Exploring formally zerovalent carbon(0) complexes (carbones) as Lewis-base organocatalysts for metal-free hydroboration, asymmetric reductions, and greenhouse gas mitigation.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Student Mentorship & Skill Development<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Our lab is driven exclusively by undergraduate researchers who gain hands-on experience in an immersive high-performance computing (HPC) environment supported by a local >2,800-core cluster and active membership in the national MERCURY consortium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Undergraduate researchers in the group develop a highly transferable technical skillset, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n