MPS-Ascend: Nickel/Photoredox-Catalyzed C(sp3)–C(sp3) Cross-Coupling Between Alkyl Halides and Activated Alcohols

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This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). Melecio Perea is awarded a NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences Ascending Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (NSF MPS-Ascend) to conduct a program of research and activities related to broaden participation by groups underrepresented in STEM. This fellowship to Dr. Perea supports the research project entitled "MPS-Ascend: Nickel/Photoredox-Catalyzed C(sp3)–C(sp3) Cross-Coupling Between Alkyl Halides and Activated Alcohols", under the mentorship of a sponsoring scientist. The host institution for the fellowship is the University of California Los Angeles, and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Abigail Doyle. The proposed work intends to explore the merger of nickel and photoredox catalysis which is an effective strategy for functionalizing C(sp3) centers. The proposed work intends to develop alkyl-alkyl coupling in racemic form; pursue mechanistic investigations which will provide insight into the nature of the cross coupling; and provide an evaluation of the scope of the reaction and its potential applicability to medicinally relevant transformations. The work will be complemented by computational modeling in the form of multivariant linear regression analysis. The PI intends to mentor other graduate and undergraduate students from historically excluded backgrounds through participation in the NSF Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate Research University Alliance at UCLA. This alliance aims to enhance diversity in academia by supporting predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers from minority backgrounds.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.