Taylor L. Vacala, Ph.D.
Technical Advisor
Dr. Taylor L. Vacala is a Technical Advisor at Leason Ellis and a member of the firm’s Patent Practice Group.
Taylor’s graduate research focused on developing new synthetic methods and sustainable strategies for the functionalization of unsaturated motifs, including alkenes and alkynes. She contributed to the development of three synthetic methods: a nickel-catalyzed hydroalkylation of alkenes, an anaerobic cleavage of alkenes using photoexcited nitroarenes, and a cobalt-catalyzed oxidation of alkynes to produce methyl ketones via vinyl radical intermediates.
As an undergraduate at DePaul University, Taylor optimized two gold-catalyzed methods for synthesizing quinolinones and spirolactams from N-aryl alkynamide precursors. She became interested in intellectual property after consulting for a firm on small-molecule pharmaceutical patent applications.
- New York University, Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, 2024
- New York University, Organic Chemistry, M.Phil., 2021
- DePaul University, B.Sc., Chemistry (Biochemical/Synthetic Medicinal Chemistry), Cum Laude, 2018
- Haley Guiliano LLP, Technical Advisor, 2024-2025
- American Chemical Society
- American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
Peer-Reviewed Publications
- Wise, D. E.; Gogarnoiu, E. S.; Duke, A. D.; Paolillo, J. M.; Vacala, T. L.; Hussain, W. A.; Parasram, M. Photoinduced Oxygen Transfer Using Nitroarenes for Anaerobic Cleavage of Alkenes.
Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2022, 144, 15437–15442. - Vacala, T. L.; Carlson, P. R.; Arreola-Hester, A.; Williams, C. G.; Makhoul, E. W.; Vadola, P. A.
Gold-Catalyzed Dearomative Spirocyclization of N-Aryl Alkynamides for the Synthesis of Spirolactams.
Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2018, 83, 1493–1501. - Vacala, T. L.; Bejcek, L. P.; Williams, C. G.; Williamson, A. C.; Vadola, P. A.
Gold-Catalyzed Hydroarylation of N-Aryl Alkynamides for the Synthesis of 2-Quinolinones.
Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2017, 82, 2558–2569.