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）资助的。 本计画的重点是发展一种利用设计的预催化剂模块的自组装来形成有机催化剂的新方法，以及其在不对称催化中的应用。 虽然有机催化剂已被证明在不对称诱导中与传统的过渡金属催化剂甚至生物催化剂相媲美，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自组装，以提供所需的有机催化剂，并且催化剂结构的改性可以通过转换这些模块而无需化学合成来容易地实现。将进行研究，以进一步阐明这一催化系统的机制。假设驱动的研究，这种方法在不对称催化中的应用也将进行。 有了这个奖项，有机和高分子化学计划是支持教授的化学系在得克萨斯大学圣安东尼奥赵丛贵的研究。 赵教授的研究工作围绕着模块化设计的有机催化剂的不对称反应的发展。 这样的化学反应将有助于环境友好的化学合成方法，因为催化体系是来自容易获得的手性池的纯小有机分子。 该方法的成功开发将对制药和农业工业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.