New Concepts for Multifunctional Asymmetric Catalysis

化学部的化学催化项目获得这一奖项，以支持丹尼尔·塞德尔教授的研究。塞德尔教授是新泽西州立大学罗格斯化学和化学生物学系的成员。该项目旨在通过探索新的和不发达的底物活化方法，在基础水平上推进不对称催化领域的发展。不对称催化是小分子的发展，可以在化学反应中实现高选择性--以高纯度产生特定的产物。手性分子有右手和左手两种形式。这两个镜像分子被描述为对映体。这项研究的一个主要目标是开发通过手性离子对的干预来产生对映体富集物的反应。新型Brnsted酸和氢键供体催化剂被用于促进前所未有的对映选择性过程和解决具有挑战性的问题。多功能催化剂是在温和的反应条件下实现类酶催化的一种手段。这项研究为本科生和研究生提供了极好的培训基础，并为他们未来在工业或学术界的职业生涯做好了准备。有一个强烈的承诺，让不同的学生群体进行这项研究。以最具成本效益的方式制备复杂手性分子的能力直接取决于可持续的合成方法的可用性。从这项工作中出现的新的合成方法提供了更多的途径来获得具有生物意义的手性含氮化合物，如胺、酰胺、内酰胺、氨基酸和吲哚类物质，这些物质反过来又有助于推动化学工业的发展。此外，该项目还为化学科学领域的下一代研究人员提供了理想的培训场所。从事这个项目的学生在获得现代合成方法和实验室技术方面的专业知识的同时，暴露在一个智力刺激和具有挑战性的环境中，这将为他们未来的职业生涯做好准备。

With this award, the Chemical Catalysis Program of the Chemistry Division supports the research of Professor Daniel Seidel. Professor Seidel is a member of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. This project aims to advance the field of asymmetric catalysis on a fundamental level through exploration of conceptually new and underdeveloped methods of substrate activation. Asymmetric catalysis is the development of small molecules that can achieve high selectivity in chemical reactions - producing a specific product in high prurity. Chiral molecules have a right-handed and left-handed version. These two mirror image molecules are described as enantiomers. A major goal of this resesarch is the development of reactions that produce enantiomerically enriched products through intervention of chiral ion pairs. Novel Brønsted acids and hydrogen bond donor catalysts are used to facilitate unprecedented enantioselective processes and address challenging problems. Multifunctional catalysts are being used as a means to achieve enzyme-like catalysis under mild reaction conditions. The research provides an excellent training ground for undergraduate and graduate students and preparing them for future careers in industry or academia. There is a strong commitment to engage a diverse group of students carrying out this research. The ability to prepare complex chiral molecules in the most cost-effective way possible is directly dependent on the availability of sustainable synthetic methodologies. The new synthetic methods that are emerging from this work provide enhanced access to biologically significant, chiral nitrogen containing compounds such as amines, amides, lactams, amino acids and indole containing substances that, in turn, help advance the chemical industry. Furthermore, this project provides an ideal training ground to prepare the next generation of researchers in the chemical sciences. Students working on this project gain expertise in modern synthetic methods and laboratory techniques while being exposed to an intellectually stimulating and challenging environment that will prepare them for future careers.