Modularly Designed Organocatalysts for Asymmetric Reactions

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)提供资金的。本项目致力于开发一种利用设计的预催化剂模块自组装形成有机催化剂的新方法，并将其应用于不对称催化。虽然有机催化剂已被证明在不对称诱导方面与传统的过渡金属催化剂甚至生物催化剂相竞争，但目前基于纯共价键的有机催化剂的设计需要耗时的合成和纯化。本项目研究了一种从精心设计的预催化剂模块中形成有机催化剂的组合方法。这些模块可以在反应条件下通过非共价离子相互作用进行自组装，从而得到所需的有机催化剂，并且无需化学合成，通过切换这些模块就可以很容易地实现催化剂结构的修饰。将开展进一步阐明该催化体系的机理的研究。还将对该方法在不对称催化中的应用进行假设驱动的研究。通过这一奖项，有机和高分子化学项目正在支持德克萨斯大学圣安东尼奥分校化学系赵聪教授的研究。赵教授的研究工作围绕着开发用于不对称反应的模块化设计的有机催化剂。这种化学方法将有助于环境友好的化学合成方法，因为催化体系是从现成的手性池中衍生出来的纯有机小分子。该方法的成功开发将对制药和农业中的合成产生积极影响。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This project focuses on the development of a novel method for the formation of organocatalysts using the self-assembly of designed precatalyst modules and its application in asymmetric catalysis. While organocatalysts have been shown to rival the traditional transition- metal catalysts and even biocatalysts in asymmetric inductions, the current design of organocatalysts based on pure covalent bonds requires time-consuming syntheses and purifications. This project studies a combinatorial approach for the formation of organocatalysts from carefully designed precatalyst modules. These modules can self-assemble under the reaction conditions through non-covalent ionic interactions to afford the desired organocatalysts and modification of the catalyst structure is easily achievable by switching these modules without chemical synthesis. Studies to further elucidate the mechanism of this catalytic system will be undertaken. Hypothesis driven studies of the application of this method in asymmetric catalysis will be also performed. With this award, the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program is supporting the research of Professor Cong-Gui Zhao of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Professor Zhao's research efforts revolve around the development of modularly designed organocatalysts for asymmetric reactions. Such chemistry will contribute to environmentally benign methods for chemical synthesis since the catalytic system is purely small organic molecules derived from the readily available chiral pools. Successful development of the methodology will have a positive impact on synthesis in the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries.