CAREER: Transition Metal Catalyzed [2+2+2] Cycloadditions for Carbocycle Synthesis

有了这个职业奖，化学合成计划是支持教授埃里克J.亚历山大的北卡罗来纳州大学在查佩尔山的研究。 Alexanian教授将开发新的过渡金属催化的[2+2+2]环加成，能够从简单，容易获得的不饱和烃直接获得有价值的复杂碳环类。这些环加成反应避免了复杂碳环的常见方法的许多关键缺点，这些方法依赖于冗长的多步序列，基于底物的立体控制，并涉及高反应性试剂和中间体。这些环加成的碳环产物存在于许多重要类别的生物活性天然产物中，但使用当前方法构建仍然是一个挑战。可分解的产物包括反式稠合的还原茚满和十氢化萘，它们构成高级萜烯、类固醇和相关天然产物的核心。通过以有用的碳环形式快速生成结构和立体化学复杂性，所提出的反应的成功开发将在合成化学领域产生广泛的影响。作为该项目的一部分，Alexanian教授还将建立一个推广计划，邀请化学系的研究生在当地高中进行演讲，将合成化学与其对我们日常生活的影响联系起来。为了最大限度地发挥潜在的效益，将对这些介绍进行录像，并在互联网上提供。该计划还将为学生提供一个机会，通过在该部门工作八周的时间来亲身体验研究。Alexanian教授课程的补充研究和教育目标专门针对激励多个教育水平的学生继续探索科学的道路。

With this CAREER Award, the Chemical Synthesis program is supporting the research of Professor Erik J. Alexanian of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Professor Alexanian will develop new transition-metal-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloadditions capable of providing direct access to valuable classes of complex carbocycles from simple, readily accessed unsaturated hydrocarbons. These cycloaddition reactions avoid many key drawbacks of common approaches to complex carbocycles, which rely on lengthy multi-step sequences, substrate-based stereocontrol, and involve highly reactive reagents and intermediates. The carbocyclic products of these cycloadditions are present in many important classes of bioactive natural products, yet remain a challenge to construct using current methods. Accessible products include trans-fused hydrindanes and decalins, which constitute the core of higher terpenes, steroids, and related natural products. Through the rapid generation of structural and stereochemical complexity in the form of useful carbocycles, the successful development of the proposed reactions would have broad impact in synthetic chemistry.As part of this project, Professor Alexanian will also establish an outreach program that will involve graduate students in the Chemistry department giving presentations at local high schools that connect synthetic chemistry to its impact on our everyday life. In order to maximize the potential benefit, the presentations will be videotaped and made available over the Internet. The program will also provide an opportunity for students to experience research firsthand by working in the department for an eight-week period. The complementary research and educational goals of Professor Alexanian's program are specifically aimed at motivating students at multiple educational levels to continue on a path of discovery in science.