SCHOOL OF Chemistry

Prof. William J. Spillane Career Synopsis:  B.Sc. Ph.D. University College, Cork (1970) Awarded Peel Memorial prize for PhD work (1970) ICI Post-doctoral Fellowship, University of Sussex with Prof. C. Eaborn FRS (1969-1970) Lecturer NUI, Galway (1970-1988) D.Sc. NUI, Galway (1992) Associate professor, NUI Galway  (1988-2003) Professor, NUI Galway (2003-2008) Elected to Membership of the Royal Irish Academy (2008)

Phone: +353-91-492475 (for internal: ext. 2475)                                                                                                     

Research Interests

Tastant Studies
Studies on non-nutritive sweeteners, particularly the cyclamate (sulfamates) – development of structure-taste relationships (SARs) using a wide array of physical organic and biological parameters. This work is preceded by extensive syntheses and examination of the literature for suitable compounds, whose taste portfolios have been reported. A data base of compounds is then established for assessment.  Publications 3 and 4 below describe examples of the approach followed.

Physical Organic Studies
Mechanistic organic studies of certain sulfamate esters, RNHSO ₂R’ which are models of steroid sulfatase (STS) and carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitors and latterly studies of the actual inhibiting esters e.g. EMATE and 667-COUMATE. Publication 2 (vide infra) describes one such study with EMATE and publication 1 gives details of results with various model sulfamate esters. Some physical organic studies on other types of N-S(VI) compounds such as sulfamoyl chlorides, RNHSO ₂Cl and sulfamides, –NHSO ₂NH-  are in hand.

Recent Publications (H-index to date: 13, Total citations to date: 771)

1. W. J. Spillane, S. Thea, G. Cevasco, M. J. Hynes, C. J. A. McCaw and N. P. Maguire, Mechanisms of Hydrolysis of Phenyl- and Benzyl 4-nitrophenyl-sulfamate Esters, Org. Biomol. Chem., 2011, 523-530.  DOILink  
2. W. J. Spillane and J.–B. Malaubier, Mechanism of the Hydrolysis of the Sulfamate EMATE – an irreversible steroid sulfatase inhibitor, Tetrahedron Lett., 2010, 51, 2059-2062. DOILink
3. W. J. Spillane, C. M.  Coyle, B. G.  Feeney and E. F. Thompson, Development of Structure-taste Relationships for the Thiazolyl-, benzothiazolyl- and thiadiazolylsulfamates,  J. Agric. and Food Chem., 2009, 57, 5486-5493. DOILink
4. W. J. Spillane and E. F. Thompson. The Effect on Taste upon the Introduction of Heteroatoms in Sulfamates. Food Chemistry, 2009, 114, 217-225.  DOILink

                                               Approximately 130 earlier papers are listed in SciFinder 

Seminal Publication:

The following review is the second most downloaded article from the ACS journal Chemical Reviews in a ranking of the top 20 over the last 12 months (Feb. 2011).

1. G. Anthony Benson and W. J. Spillane., Sulfamic Acids and its N Substituted Derivatives., Chem. Rev., 1980, 80, 151-186.  DOILink.  

Sabbaticals Undertaken

University of California, Santa Barbara with Prof. C. A. Bunton (1982)
University of Reading with Prof. G. Birch (Food Chemistry) and Prof. M. Drew (Chemistry) (1992)

List of Former and Present Research Students and Research Assistants

T. Noel O’Regan, M.Sc. (1974)
G. Anthony Benson, Ph.D. (1976)
Grainne McGlinchey, Ph.D. (1980)
Thomas J. Hannigan, (1981)
Bernadette Coakley, res. assist. (1982)
Vida Gestautas-Tansey, res. assist. (1983)
Anne P. Taheny, Ph.D. (1983)
John D. McDermott, Ph.D. (1983)
Padraig O. Burke, Ph.D. (1986)
John M. Lally, Ph.D. (1987)
Francis A. McHugh, Ph.D. (1987)
Maryanne Sheehan, Ph. D. (1988)
Geraldine B. Hogan, Ph.D. (1993)
Caroline A. Ryder, Ph.D. (1993)
Paul McGrath, Ph.D. (1994)
Siobhan N. Wall, Ph.D. (1994)
Danny G. Concagh, M.Sc. (1995)
M. Rachel Walsh, Ph.D. (1995)
Patrick J. Curran, Ph.D. (1996)
Joseph King, M.Sc. (1996)
Christopher Brack, Ph.D. (1999)
Lorraine M. Kelly Ph.D. (1999)
Brendan G. Feeney, Ph.D. (2002)
Catherine C. Coyle, Ph.D. (2002)
Andrew O’Byrne, Ph.D. (2002)
Gary G. Hanniffy, Ph.D. (2003)
Patrick Maughan, M.Sc. (2005)
Cheryl J. M. McCaw, Ph.D. (2006)
Damien P. Kelly, Ph.D. (2007)
Emer F. Thompson, Ph.D. (2009)
Neil Maguire, Ph.D. (2009)
J.-B. Malaubier, Ph.D. (-)

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