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

化学系的化学合成计划支持特拉华大学玛丽·沃森教授的工作，开发一种金属催化的方法，使碳亲核试剂与氧碳正离子中间体进行不对称加成反应。本研究致力于开发一种通用和实用的解决方案，用于从各种容易获得的外消旋缩醛起始原料中制备富含对映体的α-取代氧杂环。正在开发的方法主要依靠商业上或容易获得的碳亲核试剂和廉价的第一排过渡金属催化剂来最大限度地提高它们的实用性。这一研究计划的最终目标是能够有效地获得手性氧杂环，这将对新药物、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。与国际和平研究所同等重要的是对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，这一职业奖项还支持PI通过在特拉华大学大二有机化学的同行主导的团队学习(PLTL)研讨会增加本科生接触有机化学的机会，并通过她制作的关于Richard Heck诺贝尔奖获奖成就的视频和在特拉华州高中进行演示来激励特拉华州高中生学习化学的力量。

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.