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州大学的玛丽沃森教授的工作，开发一种金属催化的方法，将碳亲核试剂对映选择性加成到氧碳鎓离子中间体上。本研究的重点是开发一种通用的和实用的解决方案，用于从广泛的易得的外消旋缩醛起始原料制备对映体富集的α-取代的氧杂环。正在开发的方法主要依赖于商业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。该研究计划的最终目标是有效获得手性氧杂环，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来说，指导、教育和培训下一代科学家也同样重要。 这项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通过特拉华州大学二年级有机化学的同伴领导的团队学习（PLTL）研讨会，努力增加有机化学对本科生的可及性，并通过她制作的关于Richard Heck获得诺贝尔奖的成就的视频以及在特拉华州高中进行演示，激发特拉华州高中生的化学力量。

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.