Research Initiation Award: Development of Carbon-Carbon Bond Forming Strategies in the Synthesis of O-, N-Heterocycles

历史黑人学院和大学-本科项目(HBCU-UP)研究启动奖(RIA)为HBCU的STEM初级教员提供支持，他们开始建立研究项目，以及为职业生涯中期可能在担任行政职位后重返教职队伍或需要重新定向和重建研究项目的教师提供支持。教职员工可以在他们的家乡机构、NSF资助的中心、研究密集型机构或国家实验室进行研究。RIA项目有望帮助教师进一步提高研究能力和效率，改善其所在机构的研究和教学，并让本科生参与研究体验。在国家科学基金会的支持下，温斯顿-塞勒姆州立大学(WSSU)将开展研究，旨在了解有机合成对于治疗目的、农业、油田和其他工业应用的重要性，并通过将本科研究与教育相结合，扩大全国STEM劳动力队伍中代表性不足的学生的参与。该项目将极大地提高西南理工大学有机化学本科生的研究和教学质量。WSSU在有机合成方面的高质量研究经验对于对STEM职业感兴趣的少数族裔学生来说将是极其宝贵的。这些研究经验将进一步为学生获得研究生学位做好准备，从而扩大少数民族在国家STEM工作中的参与。拟议中的研究的目标是在合成高度功能化的杂环(如双黄酮类、吡啶和联吡啶)中开发碳-碳键形成策略。该项目的具体目标是：1)利用廉价和容易获得的芳香族化合物，开发高效的铜和铑催化的碳-碳键形成反应，用于合成杂环；2)开发铜和铑催化剂络合物催化的合并的2个碳-碳键的形成；3)从双黄酮族合成双黄酮类化合物；以及4)开发一种多用途的合成吡啶、联吡啶及其类似物的方法。这项研究将导致这些杂环的首次合成，从而在C-C键形成领域为合成杂环提供新的知识和策略方法。该项目将与西弗吉尼亚州立大学化学、生物系和生物医学研究基础设施中心(BRIC)的教职员工合作进行。

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities-Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) Research Initiation Awards (RIAs) provide support to STEM junior faculty at HBCUs who are starting to build a research program, as well as for mid-career faculty who may have returned to the faculty ranks after holding an administrative post or who need to redirect and rebuild a research program. Faculty members may pursue research at their home institution, at an NSF-funded Center, at a research intensive institution or at a national laboratory. The RIA projects are expected to help further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, to improve research and teaching at his or her home institution, and to involve undergraduate students in research experiences. With support from the National Science Foundation, Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) will conduct research aimed at understanding organic synthesis which is important for therapeutic purposes, agricultural, oil field and other industrial applications and broadening the participation of underrepresented students in the nation's STEM workforce by integrating undergraduate research with education. This project will greatly improve the quality of undergraduate research and education in Organic Chemistry at WSSU. The high-quality research experiences in organic synthesis at WSSU will be extremely valuable for minority students who are interested in careers in STEM. These research experiences will further prepare students to obtain graduate degrees and thus broaden the participation of minorities in the Nation's STEM workforce.The goal of the proposed study is to develop carbon-carbon bond formation strategies in the synthesis of highly functionalized heterocycles such as biflavonoids, pyridines and bipyridines. The specific aims of this project are to: 1) develop efficient copper and rhodium catalyzed carbon-carbon bond formation reactions for heterocycle synthesis utilizing inexpensive and readily available aromatic compounds; 2) develop a merged 2 carbon-carbon bond formation catalyzed by copper and rhodium catalyst complex; 3) synthesize bisteppogenin and diphysin from biflavonoid family; and 4) develop a versatile synthetic approach to pyridines, bipyridines and their analogs. This study will result in the first synthesis of these heterocycles and thus advance new knowledge, and tactical approaches in the C-C bond formation arena for the synthesis of heterocycles. This project will be conducted in collaboration with faculty from the department of Chemistry, Biology and the Biomedical Research Infrastructure Center (BRIC) at WSSU.