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Michael Wentzel, Ph.D.

Professor and Chair of Chemistry at Augsburg University with expertise in green and sustainable organic chemistry

Research Interests

Catalysis
Education
Organic Chemistry
Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Atmospheric Science

About

As an organic chemist, I am interested in developing new sustainable synthetic reaction methods. I was trained as an organometallic chemist using transition metals to develop new catalytic methods. These methods involved nitrogen containing heterocycles and boronic acids as well as C-H and C-C sigma bonds. I have been at Augsburg since 2013 and worked here part-time before that while doing graduate and post-graduate work across the river at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. I am passionate about teaching and mentoring in the classroom, laboratory, and in research settings. I have been influenced greatly by my own Liberal Arts education and the wonderful professors I was able to learn from and work with. I appreciate that we train our students to be strong chemists with a sense of purpose and service to others. My research group is focused on the development of green synthetic methods. Currently, we have projects using a catalyst for multi-component reactions and the synthesis of biodegradable polymers for the educational laboratories. The polymer research has been done in collaboration with the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities NSF-funded Center for Sustainable Polymers. Finally, I am extremely proud of the success of all my former group members as they continue to be successful following graduation in their lives.

Publications

Chemoselectivity in Catalytic CC and CH Bond Activation: Controlling Intermolecular Carboacylation and Hydroarylation of Alkenes

Angewandte Chemie International Edition / Jul 29, 2009

Wentzel, M. T., Reddy, V. J., Hyster, T. K., & Douglas, C. J. (2009). Chemoselectivity in Catalytic CC and CH Bond Activation: Controlling Intermolecular Carboacylation and Hydroarylation of Alkenes. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 48(33), 6121–6123. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.200902215

Chairs!: A Mobile Game for Organic Chemistry Students To Learn the Ring Flip of Cyclohexane

Journal of Chemical Education / Jul 15, 2016

Winter, J., Wentzel, M., & Ahluwalia, S. (2016). Chairs!: A Mobile Game for Organic Chemistry Students To Learn the Ring Flip of Cyclohexane. Journal of Chemical Education, 93(9), 1657–1659. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.5b00872

Sustainable Polymers in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory: Synthesis and Characterization of a Renewable Polymer from δ-Decalactone and l-Lactide

Journal of Chemical Education / Nov 22, 2013

Schneiderman, D. K., Gilmer, C., Wentzel, M. T., Martello, M. T., Kubo, T., & Wissinger, J. E. (2013). Sustainable Polymers in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory: Synthesis and Characterization of a Renewable Polymer from δ-Decalactone and <scp>l</scp>-Lactide. Journal of Chemical Education, 91(1), 131–135. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed400185u

Green Machine: A Card Game Introducing Students to Systems Thinking in Green Chemistry by Strategizing the Creation of a Recycling Plant

Journal of Chemical Education / Aug 28, 2019

Miller, J. L., Wentzel, M. T., Clark, J. H., & Hurst, G. A. (2019). Green Machine: A Card Game Introducing Students to Systems Thinking in Green Chemistry by Strategizing the Creation of a Recycling Plant. Journal of Chemical Education, 96(12), 3006–3013. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00278

Dyeing to Degrade: A Bioplastics Experiment for College and High School Classrooms

Journal of Chemical Education / Oct 16, 2019

Knutson, C. M., Hilker, A. P., Tolstyka, Z. P., Anderson, C. B., Wilbon, P. A., Mathers, R. T., Wentzel, M. T., Perkins, A. L., & Wissinger, J. E. (2019). Dyeing to Degrade: A Bioplastics Experiment for College and High School Classrooms. Journal of Chemical Education, 96(11), 2565–2573. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00461

Green Tycoon: A Mobile Application Game to Introduce Biorefining Principles in Green Chemistry

Journal of Chemical Education / Jun 22, 2020

Lees, M., Wentzel, M. T., Clark, J. H., & Hurst, G. A. (2020). Green Tycoon: A Mobile Application Game to Introduce Biorefining Principles in Green Chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 97(7), 2014–2019. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00363

Synthesis and Characterization of Biobased Lactose Hydrogels: A Teaching Experiment on Sustainable Polymers and Waste Biomass Valorization

Journal of Chemical Education / Sep 21, 2023

Buenaflor, J. P., Hillmyer, M. A., Wentzel, M. T., & Wissinger, J. E. (2023). Synthesis and Characterization of Biobased Lactose Hydrogels: A Teaching Experiment on Sustainable Polymers and Waste Biomass Valorization. Journal of Chemical Education, 100(10), 3981–3990. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c00195

Synthesis and conformational analysis of N-BOC-protected-3,5-bis(arylidene)-4-piperidone EF-24 analogs as anti-cancer agents

Heterocyclic Communications / Jan 01, 2023

Smith, R. B., Roberts, W., Upenieks, M., Gibson, M. Z., Wentzel, M. T., Grice, K. A., & Zingales, S. K. (2023). Synthesis and conformational analysis of N-BOC-protected-3,5-bis(arylidene)-4-piperidone EF-24 analogs as anti-cancer agents. Heterocyclic Communications, 29(1). https://doi.org/10.1515/hc-2022-0162

Effects of Precursor Structure on First-Generation Photo-Oxidation Organic Aerosol Formation

Frontiers in Environmental Science / Jun 24, 2022

Sofio, D., Long, D., Kohls, T., Kunz, J., Wentzel, M., & Hanson, D. (2022). Effects of Precursor Structure on First-Generation Photo-Oxidation Organic Aerosol Formation. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.892389

Practicing Multimodal Chemistry Communication through Online Collaborative Learning

Communication in Chemistry / Jan 01, 2019

Wentzel, M. T., Ripley, I., McCollum, B. M., & Morsch, L. A. (2019). Practicing Multimodal Chemistry Communication through Online Collaborative Learning. In ACS Symposium Series (pp. 57–74). American Chemical Society. https://doi.org/10.1021/bk-2019-1327.ch005

Particle Formation from Photooxidation of αpinene, Limonene, and Myrcene

The Journal of Physical Chemistry A / Feb 08, 2022

Hanson, D. R., Sawyer, A., Long, D., Sofio, D., Kunz, J., & Wentzel, M. (2022). Particle Formation from Photooxidation of αpinene, Limonene, and Myrcene. The Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 126(6), 910–923. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpca.1c08427

Measurement report: Sulfuric acid nucleation and experimental conditions in a photolytic flow reactor

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics / Feb 10, 2021

Hanson, D. R., Menheer, S., Wentzel, M., & Kunz, J. (2021). Measurement report: Sulfuric acid nucleation and experimental conditions in a photolytic flow reactor. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 21(3), 1987–2001. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-1987-2021

Exploring Divergent Green Reaction Media for the Copolymerization of Biobased Monomers in the Teaching Laboratory

Journal of Chemical Education / Dec 24, 2020

Gormong, E. A., Wentzel, M. T., Cao, B., Kundel, L. N., Reineke, T. M., & Wissinger, J. E. (2020). Exploring Divergent Green Reaction Media for the Copolymerization of Biobased Monomers in the Teaching Laboratory. Journal of Chemical Education, 98(2), 559–566. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00688

The Shrewd Guess: Can a Software System Assist Students in Hypothesis-Driven Learning for Organic Chemistry?

Journal of Chemical Education / Nov 11, 2020

Winter, J. E., Engalan, J., Wegwerth, S. E., Manchester, G. J., Wentzel, M. T., Evans, M. J., Kabrhel, J. E., & Yee, L. J. (2020). The Shrewd Guess: Can a Software System Assist Students in Hypothesis-Driven Learning for Organic Chemistry? Journal of Chemical Education, 97(12), 4520–4526. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00246

Simple and Versatile Protocol for Preparing Self-Healing Poly(vinyl alcohol) Hydrogels

Journal of Chemical Education / Jul 31, 2019

Morris, R. K., Hilker, A. P., Mattice, T. M., Donovan, S. M., Wentzel, M. T., & Willoughby, P. H. (2019). Simple and Versatile Protocol for Preparing Self-Healing Poly(vinyl alcohol) Hydrogels. Journal of Chemical Education, 96(10), 2247–2252. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00161

Multi-dimensional trust between partners for international online collaborative learning in the Third Space

International Journal for Students as Partners / May 07, 2019

McCollum, B., Morsch, L., Pinder, C., Ripley, I., Skagen, D., & Wentzel, M. (2019). Multi-dimensional trust between partners for international online collaborative learning in the Third Space. International Journal for Students as Partners, 3(1), 50–59. https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v3i1.3730

Synthesis and Study of Sustainable Polymers in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory: An Inquiry-Based Experiment Exploring the Effects of Size and Composition on the Properties of Renewable Block Polymers

ACS Symposium Series / Jan 01, 2016

Fahnhorst, G. W., Swingen, Z. J., Schneiderman, D. K., Blaquiere, C. S., Wentzel, M. T., & Wissinger, J. E. (2016). Synthesis and Study of Sustainable Polymers in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory: An Inquiry-Based Experiment Exploring the Effects of Size and Composition on the Properties of Renewable Block Polymers. In Green Chemistry Experiments in Undergraduate Laboratories (pp. 123–147). American Chemical Society. https://doi.org/10.1021/bk-2016-1233.ch008

Copper‐Catalyzed N‐Arylation of Hindered Substrates Under Mild Conditions

Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis / Apr 01, 2009

Wentzel, M. T., Hewgley, J. B., Kamble, R. M., Wall, P. D., & Kozlowski, M. C. (2009). Copper‐Catalyzed N‐Arylation of Hindered Substrates Under Mild Conditions. Advanced Synthesis &amp; Catalysis, 351(6), 931–937. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/adsc.200800730

Education

Creighton University

BS CHM, Chemistry and Philosophy / May, 2005

Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America

University of Pennsylvania

MS Organic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry / May, 2007

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America

University of Minnesota

Ph.D., Organic Chemistry / August, 2011

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America

Experience

Augsburg University

University of Minnesota-NSF Center for Sustainable Polymers

Visiting Scientist / May, 2018 — May, 2019

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