Roberto Sanchez-Delgado
Professor
Chemistry
Location: 3312 Ingersoll Hall
Phone: 718.951.5000 x2827
Fax: 718.951.4607
Email:
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Roberto Sánchez-Delgado joined Brooklyn College as associate professor of chemistry in 2004 and became full professor in 2008. Previously, he was assistant professor (1977-85), associate professor (1985-88) and full professor (1989-2004) at the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research, Caracas. He has served as visiting professor at the universities of Ulm, Zaragoza, Seville, Berkeley and Columbia; the International Center for Science and Technology, Trieste, Italy; the CNRS Catalysis Institute, Lyon; and the Natural Museum of Natural History, Paris. He was a Guggenheim Fellow in 1989 and a member of the Special Commission (UNSCOM) of the United Nations for the elimination of weapons of mass destruction of Iraq (1991-99). He has published 124 articles and one book, and he owns four patents. Sánchez-Delgado is a member of the Venezuelan Academy of Sciences and of the Latin American Academy of Sciences.
Education:
Postdoc, University Louis Pasteur (Strasbourg, France) - 1977 (Organometallic Chemistry)
Ph.D., Imperial College, University of London - 1976 (Inorganic Chemistry)
B.Sc., Imperial College, University of London - 1973 (Chemistry)
Areas of Expertise:
Inorganic/organometallic chemistry. Sánchez-Delgado's current research interests are the discovery of novel metal-based drugs against tropical diseases (malaria, Chagas and leishmaniasis) and cancer, and the development of new catalysts derived from transition metal complexes or nano-particles for reactions related to the production of cleaner fossil fuels or improved biofuels.
Books and Publications
Demoro, B., C. Sarniguet, R. Sánchez-Delgado, M. Rossi, D. Liebowitz, F. Caruso, C. Olea-Azar, V. Moreno, A. Medeiros, M.A. Comini, L. Otero and D. Gambino. "New Organoruthenium Complexes With Bioactive Thiosemicarbazones as Co-ligands: Potential Anti-trypanosomal Agents." Dalton Transactions 41: 1534-43. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2012
Glans, L., A. Ehnbom, C. de Kock, A. Martínez, J. Estrada, P.J. Smith, M. Haukka, R.A. Sánchez-Delgado and E. Nordlander. "Ruthenium(II) Arene Complexes With Chelating Chloroquine Analogue Ligands: Synthesis, Characterization and in Vitro Antimalarial Activity." Dalton Transactions 41: 2764-73. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2012
Martínez, A., T. Carreon, E. Iniguez, A. Anzellotti, A. Sánchez, M. Tyan, A. Sattler, L. Herrera, R.A. Maldonado and R.A. Sánchez-Delgado. "Searching for New Chemotherapies for Tropical Diseases: Ruthenium-clotrimazole Complexes Display High in Vitro Activity Against Leishmania major and Trypanosoma cruzi and Low Toxicity Toward Normal Mammalian Cells." Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 55: 3867-77. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2012
Rahi, R., M. Fang, A. Ahmed and R.A. Sánchez-Delgado. "Hydrogenation of Quinolines, Alkenes, and Biodiesel by Palladium Nanoparticles Supported on Magnesium Oxide." Dalton Transactions 41: 14490-97. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2012
Fang, M., N. Machalaba and R A. Sánchez-Delgado. Hydrogenation of Arenes and N-heteroaromatic Compounds Over Ruthenium Nanoparticles on poly(4-vinylpyridine): A Versatile Catalyst Operating by a Substrate-dependent Dual Site Mechanism. Dalton Transactions 40: 10621-32. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2011
Martínez, A., J. Suárez, T. Shand, R.S. Magliozzo and R.A. Sánchez-Delgado. "Interactions of Arene-Ru(II)-chloroquine Complexes of Known Antimalarial and Antitumor Activity With Human Serum Albumin (HSA) and Transferrin." Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry 105: 39-45. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2011
Navarro, M., W. Castro, A. Martínez and R.A. Sánchez-Delgado. "The Mechanism of Antimalarial Action of [Au(CQ)(PPh3)]PF6: Structural Effects and Increased Drug Lipophilicity Enhance Heme Aggregation Inhibition at Llipid/water Interfaces." Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry 105: 276-82. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2011
Navarro, M., W. Castro, A.R., Higuera-Padilla, A. Sierraalta, M. J. Abad, P. Taylor and R.A. Sánchez-Delgado. "Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Activity of Trans-platinum (II) Complexes With Chloroquine." Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry 105: 1684-91. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2011
Martínez, A., Ch. S.K. Rajapakse, A. Varela-Ramírez, C. Lema, R.J. Aguilera and R.A. Sánchez-Delgado. "Arene-Ru(II)-Chloroquine Complexes Interact With DNA, Induce Apoptosis on Human Lymphoid Cell Lines and Display Low Toxicity to Normal Mammalian Cells." Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry 104: 967-77. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2010
Jimenez, Sonia, Jose A. Lopez, Miguel A. Ciriano, Cristina Tejel, Alberto Martinez and Roberto A. Sánchez-Delgado, "Selective Hydrogenation of Cinnamaldehyde and Other alfa,beta-Unsaturated Substrates Catalyzed by Rhodium and Ruthenium Complexes." Organometallics 28: 3193-202. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2009
Landaeta, V.R., F. Lopez-Linares, R. Sánchez-Delgado, C. Bianchini, F. Zanobini and M. Peruzzini. "Synthesis and Characterization of New Rhodium and Iridium Complexes With Trianisylphosphine and Evaluation of Their Catalytic Behavior in the Homogeneous Hydrogenation of Cinnamaldehyde." Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemistry 310: 1-10. (Featured as Editor's Choice paper). (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2009
Martínez, A., Ch. S.K. Rajapakse, D. Jalloh, C. Dautriche and R.A. Sánchez-Delgado. "The Antimalarial Activity of Ru-chloroquine Complexes Against Resistant Plasmodium falciparum Is Related to Lipophilicity, Basicity and Heme Aggregation Inhibition Ability Near Water/ n -octanol Interfaces." Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry 14: 863-71. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2009
Rajapakse, C.S.K., A. Martinez, B. Naoulou, A. A. Jarzecki, L. Suarez, C. Deregnaucourt, V. Sinou, J. Schrevel, E. Musi, G. Ambrosini, G.K. Schwartz and R. A. Sánchez-Delgado. "Synthesis, Characterization and in vitro Antimalarial and Antitumor Activity of New Ruthenium(II) Complexes of Chloroquine." Inorganic Chemistry 48: 1122-31. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2009
Martinez, A., Ch. S.K. Rajapakse, B. Naoulou, Y. Kopkalli, L. Davenport and R.A. Sanchez-Delgado. "The Mechanism of Antimalarial Action of the Ruthenium(II)-chloroquine Complex [RuCl2(CQ)]2." Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry 13: 703-12. DOI 10.1007/s00775-008-0356-9. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2008
"Homogeneous Hydrogenation by Defined Metal Clusters." Handbook of Homogenoeus Hydrogenation, Volume 1. Eds. K. Elsevier and J.G. de Vries. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. 199-215. (Books and Publications: Chapter) 2007
Rosales, M., A. González, Y. Guerrero, I. Pacheco and R.A. Sánchez-Delgado. "Kinetics and Mechanisms of Homogeneous Catalytic Reactions. Part 6. Hydroformylation of 1-hexene by Use of Rh(acac)(CO)2/dppe [dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane] as the Precatalyst." Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical 270: 241-49. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2007
Rosales, M., J.A. Durán, A. González, I. Pacheco and R.A. Sánchez-Delgado. "Kinetics and Mechanisms of Homogeneous Catalytic Reactions. Part 7. Hydroformylation of 1-hexene Catalyzed by Cationic Complexes of Rhodium and Iridium Containing PPh3." Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical 270: 250-56. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2007
Sánchez-Delgado, R.A., N. Machalaba and N. Ng-a-qui. "Hydrogenation of Quinoline by Ruthenium Nanoparticles Immobilized on poly(4-vinylpyridine)." Catalysis Communications 8: 2115-18. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2007
"Hydrodesulfurization and Hydrodenitrogenation." Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry III, Volume 1. Eds. R.H. Crabtree and D.M.P. Mingos. Oxford, United Kingdom: Elsevier. 759-800. (Books and Publications: Chapter) 2006
Baricelli, P.J., K. Segovia, E. Lujano, M. Modroño-Alonso, F. López-Linares and R.A. Sánchez-Delgado. "Synthesis and Characterization of [HRu(CO)(CH3CN)(TPPTS)3]BF4. Catalytic Properties in the Aqueous-biphasic Hydroformylation of Olefins." Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical 252: 70-75. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2006
Landaeta, V., B.K. Muñoz, M. Peruzzini, V. Herrera, C. Bianchini, and R.A. Sánchez-Delgado. "Imine Hydrogenation by Tribenzylphosphine Rhodium and Iridium Complexes." Organometallics 25: 403-09. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2006
Landaeta, V., M. Peruzzini, V. Herrera, C. Bianchini, R.A. Sánchez-Delgado, A.E. Goeta and F. Zanobini. "Synthesis, Characterization and Reactivity of Tribenzylphosphine Rhodium and Iridium Complexes." Journal of Organometallic Chemistry 691: 1039-50. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2006
López-Linares, F., J. Urdaneta, V. Sánchez and R.A. Sánchez-Delgado. "Hydrogenation of Alpha-beta-unsaturated Carbonyl Substrates by Use of [Ir(COD)(PPh3)2]PF6 in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium Hexafluorophosphate." Ciencia 14: 26-30. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2006
Baricelli, P.J., F. López-Linares, A. Bruss, R. Santos, E. Lujano and R.A. Sánchez-Delgado. "Biphasic Hydroformylation of Olefins by the New Binuclear Water-soluble Rhodium Complex [Rh(m-Pz)(CO)(TPPTS)]2." Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical 239: 130-37. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2005
Rosales, M., A. González, B. González, C. Moratinos, H. Pérez, J. Urdaneta and R.A. Sánchez-Delgado. "Hydroformylation of Alkenes With Paraformaldehyde Catalyzed by Rhodium-phosphine Complexes." Journal of Organometallic Chemistry 690: 3095-98. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2005
Vietes, M., P. Buccino, L. Otero, M. González, O.E. Piro, R. Sánchez-Delgado, C.M.R. Sant'Anna, E.J. Barreiro, H. Cerecetto and D. Gambino. "Chemoselective Hydrolysis of the Imine Moiety in Salicylaldehyde Semicarbazone Promoted by Ruthenium." Inorganica Chimica Acta 358: 3065-74. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2005
Baricelli, P., M. Rodríguez, E. Lujano, A. Fuentes and R. A. Sánchez-Delgado. "Synthesis and Characterization of Ru(H)2(CO)2(TPPMS)2 and Applications to the Hydroformylation of Alkenes." Applied Catalysis A: General 263: 187-91. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2004
Baricelli, P.J., E. Lujano, M. Modroño, A.C. Marrero, Y.M. García, A. Fuentes and R.A. Sánchez-Delgado. "Rhodium-catalyzed Hydroformylation of C6 Alkenes and Alkene Mixtures. A Comparative Study in Homogeneous and Aqueous Biphasic Media Using PPh3, TPPTS and TPPMS Ligands." Journal of Organometallic Chemistry 689: 3782-92. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2004
E. Cabrera, H. Cerecetto, M. González, D. Gambino, P. Noelia, L. Otero, B. Parajón-Costa, A. Anzellotti, R. A. Sánchez-Delgado, A. Azqueta, A. López de Cérain and A. Monge. "Ruthenium(II) Nitrofurylsemicarbazone Complexes: New DNA Binding Agents." European Journal of Medical Chemistry 39: 377-82. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2004
Navarro, M., F. Vásquez, R.A. Sánchez-Delgado, H. Pérez, V. Sinou and J. Schrevel. "Toward a Novel Metal-based Chemotherapy Against Tropical Diseases. 8. Synthesis and in vitro Antimalarial Activity of New Gold-chloroquine Complexes." Journal of Medical Chemistry 47: 5204-09. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2004
Rosales, M., T. González, R. Atencio and R.A. Sánchez-Delgado. "Synthesis and Reactivity of Iridium Complexes With Pyridine and Piperidine Ligands: Models for Hydrodenitrogenation. Dalton Transactions 2004: 2952-56. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2004
Sánchez-Delgado, R.A. and A. Anzellotti. "Metal Complexes as Chemotherapeutic Agents Against Tropical Diseases: Trypanosomiasis, Malaria and Leishmaniasis." Mini-Reviews in Medical Chemistry 4: 23-30. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2004
Sánchez-Delgado, R.A., A. Anzellotti and L. Suárez. "Metal Complexes as Chemotherapeutic Agents Against Tropical Diseases: Malaria, Leishmaniasis and Trypanosomiasis." Invited chapter of "Metal Ions and Their Complexes in Medication." Metal Ions in Biological Systems, Volume 41. Eds. H. Siegel and A. Siegel. New York: Marcel Dekker. (Books and Publications: Chapter) 2004
Strasberg-Rieber, M., A. Anzellotti, R.A. Sánchez-Delgado and M. Rieber. "Apoptosis Induced by Ruthenium(II) Ketoconazole Irrespective of p53 Status is Enhanced in Non-susceptible Carcinoma by Monoclonal Antibody to EGF Receptor." International Journal of Cancer 112: 376-84. (Books and Publications: Peer Reviewed Article) 2004
Awards, Honors and Fellowships
Department of Energy Grant #DE-EE0003129, for "Development of Pollution Prevention Technologies." R.A. Sánchez-Delgado and J. Polle, co-recipients. 2010-13. (Grants and Fellowships) 2010
NIH 1SC1GM089558-01A1, for "Ruthenium-based Antimalarial Agents." 2010-14. (Grants and Fellowships) 2010
Special Award from the Venezuelan Catalysis Society, for "Pioneering and Sustained Contributions to the Development of Catalytic Sciences in Venezuela." (Awards and Honors) 2010
Petroleum Research Fund (ACS) Grant # 47472.01-AC3, for "Heterolytic Activation of Hydrogen Promoted by Ruthenium Nanoparticles on Poly(vinylpyridine) and Hydrogenation of Aromatic Compounds." 2008-10. (Grants and Fellowships) 2008
PSC-CUNY Award, for "Nanostructured Ruthenium Catalysts on Functional Polymers for Heterolytic Activation of Hydrogen and Hydrogenation of Aromatic Compounds." 2007-08. (Grants and Fellowships) 2007
NIH-SCORE Grant, for "-Ru(II) Chloroquine Complexes in Chemotherapy of Malaria and Cancer." 2006-10. (Grants and Fellowships) 2006
Member, Latin American Academy of Science. (Awards and Honors) 2005
PSC-CUNY Award, for "Synthesis of New Catalysts Derived From Metal Complexes and Nanoparticles Immobilized in Unusual Biphasic Media and Their Application to the Hydrogenation of Aromatic Hydrocarbons." 2005-06. (Grants and Fellowships) 2005
Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums
"Ruthenium-based Chemotherapies for Tropical Diseases." Chemistry Department Seminar. Hofstra University. March 21. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2013
"Complejos Areno-Rutenio en Química Medicinal." plenary lecture. XXX GEQO Meeting. Castellón, Spain, June 13. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2012
"Nanostructured Hydrogenation Catalysts: Novel Reaction Pathways of Relevance to the Manufacture of Cleaner Fuels." Nanotechnology Workshop. CUNY Graduate Center. New York, November. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2012
"Ruthenium Complexes in Chemotherapy of Tropical Diseases and Cancer." Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, March 30. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2012
"Ruthenium-based Antiparasitic and Antitumor Agents." Department of Chemical Physics, University of Lund (Sweden), Feb. 2. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2012
"Ruthenium-based Chemotherapies for Tropical Diseases." ACS NY Local Section, Frontiers in Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Lecture Series. Columbia University. New York, September. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2012
"Ruthenium-based Chemotherapies for Tropical Diseases." Symposium Honoring Professor Dick Andersen. University of California, Berkeley. October. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2012
"Catalytic Hydrogenation and Related Reactions of Relevance to the Manufacture of Cleaner Fossil Fuels." Earth & Environmental Engineering Department, Columbia University. New York, Oct. 7. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2011
"Complejos de Ru en Química Medicinal" Plenary Lecture. X Congress of the Venezuelan Chemical Society. Caracas, Venezuela, April. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2011
"Advanced Course on Homogeneous Catalysis" opening lecture, organized by the Venezuelan Catalysis Society. Simon Bolivar University. Caracas, Venezuela, April 6. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2010
"Ruthenium Complexes in Chemotherapy of Malaria and Cancer." Queens College. Oct. 18. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2010
"Ruthenium in Medicinal and Catalytic Applications." Chemistry Department, Pace University. Nov. 23. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2010
"Ruthenium-based Antimalarial and Antitumor Agents." International Symposium on Organometallic Chemistry: From Fundamentals to Modern Applications." Seville, Spain. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2009
Sánchez-Delgado, R.A., A. Martinez, C.S.K. Rajapakse and B. Naoulou. "Ru Chloroquine Complexes as Potential Antimalarial and Antitumor Agents." International Conference on Organometallic Chemistry. Rennes, France. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Contributed Talk) 2008
"Arene-Ru-Chloroquine Complexes With DNA Binding and Heme Aggregation Inhibition Ability as Potential Antimalarial and Antitumor Agents." 13th International Conference on Biological Inorganic Chemistry. Vienna. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2007
"Ruthenium Complexes and Materials in Medicinal Chemistry and Catalysis" plenary lecture. 1st Latin American Symposium on Organometallic Chemistry. Bogota, August. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2007
Martínez, Alberto, Chandima Rajapakse, Becky Naoulou and Roberto A. Sánchez-Delgado. "Arene-Ru-Chloroquine Complexes With DNA Binding and Heme Aggregation Inhibition Ability as Potential Antimalarial and Antitumor Agents." Gordon Research Conference on Organometallic Chemistry. Rhode Island. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Contributed Talk) 2007
Sánchez-Delgado, Roberto A., Chandima Rajapakse, Alberto Martinez and Becky Naoulou. "Arene-Ru-chloroquine Complexes as Potential Antimalarial or Antitumor Agents: DNA Binding and Heme Aggregation Inhibition Properties." National American Chemical Society Meeting. Boston. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Contributed Talk) 2007
"Metal Complexes as Potential Chemotherapeutic Agents Against Chagas Disease and Leishmaniasis." AMSUD-Pasteur Regional Course on Metals in Biological Systems. Montevideo, Uruguay, March. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2005
"Metal Complexes as Potential Chemotherapeutic Agents Against Malaria." AMSUD-Pasteur Regional Course on Metals in Biological Systems. Montevideo, Uruguay, March. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2005
Professional Leadership
Inorganic Chemistry Sub-discipline chairman, Doctoral Chemistry Program, CUNY Graduate Center. (Professional Leadership: Organizational Leadership Position) 2012
Inorganic Chemistry Sub-discipline chairman, Doctoral Program in Chemistry, CUNY Graduate Center. (Professional Leadership: Organizational Leadership Position) 2011
Inorganic chemistry subdiscipline chairman, Doctoral Program in Chemistry, CUNY Graduate Center. (Professional Leadership: Organizational Leadership Position) 2010
Member, Brooklyn College Presidential Task Force on Retention and Graduation. (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2010
Coordinator, Friedmann Lecture, Chemistry Department. 2006-2008 (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2007
Member, Appointments Committee, Chemistry Department, Brooklyn College, 2005-present. (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2007
Member, Brooklyn College Science Research Council. (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2007
Member, Campus Steering Committee for the LSAMP program. (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2007
Member, Task Force for the Reform of the Doctoral Programs in Science at CUNY, 2006-07. (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2007
Member, Working Group for the planning of a new science building at Brooklyn College. (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2007
Inorganic subdiscipline chairman, CUNY Ph.D. Program in Chemistry, CUNY Graduate Center, 2006 to present. (Professional Leadership: Organizational Leadership Position) 2006
Member, Curriculum and Degree Committee, CUNY Graduate Center. (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2006
Member, Faculty Council Committee on Campus Planning. (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2006
Member, Steering Committee for NIH-SCORE grant at Brooklyn College. (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2006
Member, Faculty Council Committee on Graduate Admissions and Standards. (Professional Leadership: Committee Service) 2005
Other Professional Activities
Associate editor, Metal Based Drugs, 2006-present. 2007
Member, International Scientific Advisory Board, Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society, 2000-present. 2007
Member, International Scientific Advisory Board, Dalton Transactions, RSC, 2000-06. 2006





