CAREER: A Metal-Catalyzed Strategy for Enantioselective Additions to Oxocarbenium Ions

化学系的化学合成项目支持特拉华大学的Mary Watson教授的工作，以开发一种金属催化的方法，使碳亲核试剂对氧羰基离子中间体进行对映选择性加成。本研究的重点是开发一种通用和实用的解决方案，用于从各种现成的外消旋缩醛起始材料制备富集对映体的α -取代氧杂环。正在开发的方法主要依赖于商业上或容易获得的碳亲核试剂和廉价的第一行过渡金属催化剂，以最大限度地提高其实用性。这项研究计划的最终目标是使手性氧杂环能够有效地获得，这将对新药、农用化学品和功能材料的发现和开发产生积极和重大的影响。对PI同样重要的是下一代科学家的指导、教育和培训。本研究为本科生和研究生研究人员提供教育和研究培训。此外，该职业奖支持PI的努力，通过在特拉华大学二年级有机化学中进行同伴领导的团队学习（PLTL）研讨会，增加本科生对有机化学的可及性，并通过她制作的关于理查德·赫克诺贝尔奖获奖成就的视频，以及在特拉华高中进行演示，激励特拉华高中生了解化学的力量。

The Chemical Synthesis Program in the Division of Chemistry supports the work of Professor Mary Watson of the University of Delaware to develop a metal-catalyzed approach to the enantioselective addition of carbon nucleophiles to oxocarbenium ion intermediates. This research focuses on developing a general and practical solution for the preparation of enantioenriched, alpha-substituted oxygen heterocycles from a wide range of readily available, racemic acetal starting materials. The methods being developed rely predominantly on commercially or readily available carbon nucleophiles and inexpensive, first-row transition metal catalysts to maximize their practicality. The ultimate goal of this research program is to enable efficient access to chiral oxygen heterocycles that would have a positive and significant impact on discovery and development of new pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and functional materials. Of equal importance to the PI are the mentorship, education and training of the next generation of scientists. This research provides education and research training to undergraduate and graduate student researchers. Further, this CAREER award supports the PI's efforts to increase the accessibility of organic chemistry to undergraduate students via peer-led team learning (PLTL) workshops in sophomore organic chemistry at the University of Delaware and to inspire Delaware high school students with the power of chemistry using a video she produced about Richard Heck's Nobel Prize-winning achievements and by performing demonstrations in Delaware high schools.