CAREER: 2-Alkylidene Oxetanes: A Versatile Molecular Scaffold for New Molecules and Advanced Materials

Howell教授的研究重点是2-烷基烯乙烷的合成及其作为丝氨酸和半胱氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂的潜在用途，以及合成中环碳环化合物和螺旋酮的前体。结构类似于简单昆虫信息素的化合物将采用后一种方法制备，该方法设计简单，具有化学选择性，不广泛使用保护基团，同时在温和条件下进行。还将探讨通过2-烷基烯乙烷的中间体获得其他功能的方法，以及2-烷基烯乙烷的聚合，预计将产生聚酮。Howell教授将寻求促进学生和教师与工业的互动，以实现三个目标：(1)提高学生对工业职业机会的欣赏，(2)提高教师对如何帮助学生求职的理解，以及(3)促进学术-工业和工业-学术合作。有了这个职业奖，合成有机项目支持康涅狄格大学化学系Amy Howell博士的研究和教育活动。Howell教授研究了一类多功能前体分子的化学性质，到目前为止，这些前体分子很少受到合成界的关注。这些化合物，相对较小的尺寸，但包含一些反应基团的原子，允许合成范围广泛的重要化合物，包括分子预期显示不寻常的生物活性，以及聚合材料。Howell教授的教育活动旨在通过研讨会、工业化学家讲授的内部课程以及在学术和工业实验室的实习，提高学生对工业就业机会的认识，并发展教师与工业的合作。

Professor Howell's research focuses on the synthesis of 2-alkylideneoxetanes and their use as potential inhibitors of serine and cysteine proteases as well as precursors for the synthesis of medium-ring carbocyclic compounds and spiroketals. Compounds bearing structural analogy to simple insect pheromones will be prepared using the latter methodology, which is designed to be simple and chemoselective, without extensive use of protecting groups, while proceeding under mild conditions. Approaches to other functionalities through the intermediacy of 2-alkylideneoxetanes will also be explored, as will the polymerization of 2-alkylideneoxetanes, expected to yield polyketones. Professor Howell will seek to facilitate student and faculty interactions with industry in order to achieve three goals: (1) to increase student appreciation of industrial career opportunities, (2) to improve faculty understanding of how to assist students with their job searches, and (3) to foster academic-industrial and industrial-academic collaborations. With this CAREER award, the Synthetic Organic Program supports the research and educational activities of Dr. Amy Howell of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Connecticut. Professor Howell examines the chemistry of a class of versatile precursor molecules that, to this point, have received little attention from the synthetic community. These compounds, comparatively small in size but containing a number of reactive groupings of atoms, permit synthetic access to a wide range of important compounds, including molecules anticipated to display unusual biological activity, as well as polymeric materials. Professor Howell's educational activities target the enhancement of student awareness of career opportunities in industry and the development of faculty-industry collaborations through workshops, in-house courses taught by industrial chemists, and internships in academic and industrial laboratories.