Postdoctoral Fellowship: MPS-Ascend: Development of Selective Reaction Schemes for Photoactivation of Alcohols

罗伯特·T·马丁被授予NSF数学和物理科学提升博士后研究奖学金(NSF MPS-Ascend)，以开展一项与扩大STEM中代表性不足群体的参与相关的研究和活动。马丁博士的这笔奖学金支持在一位赞助科学家的指导下进行的题为“MPS-Ascend：开发用于酒精的光活化的选择性反应方案”的研究项目。该奖学金的主办机构是普林斯顿大学，赞助科学家是David W.C.MacMillan博士。这项建议旨在开发有机合成方法，以扩大以醇为原料的碳-碳键形成反应的范围。醇是天然含量最丰富、合成最实用的底物之一，但使用醇的有机合成方法还不够发达。这项工作将开发两种新的反应流形，用于不饱和醇和脂肪醇的活化和官能化。这项工作的成功实施可能会扩大醇的交叉偶联反应的范围，并为进一步开发醇的合成方法提供一个框架，该方法可以纳入和扩大自由基级联和自由基分类的使用。国际和平协会打算成立一个组织，与当地教师一起向代表人数不足的群体的学生开展外联活动，提供用品、专业发展和来自不同背景的科学家的研讨会。该协会还将与“化学-STEM外展计划”和普林斯顿大学科学与工程多样性联盟(ADSE)合作，与当地高中生举行小组讨论，讨论STEM的职业。PI还将继续作为计算和实验导师与最初由PI共同创建和共同组织的iCARBON暑期计划一起工作，为来自全国各地和不同背景的学生提供资源，让他们参与虚拟的计算化学研究，而不会有面对面的障碍。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Robert T. Martin is awarded an 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. Martin supports the research project entitled “MPS-Ascend: Development of Selective Reaction Schemes for Photoactivation of Alcohols” under the mentorship of a sponsoring scientist. The host institution for the fellowship is Princeton University, and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. David W. C. MacMillan.This proposal intends to develop organic synthetic methodologies to expand the scope of carbon-carbon bond formation reactions using alcohols as starting materials. Alcohols are among the most naturally abundant and synthetically practical substrates, but organic synthetic methodology using alcohols is underdeveloped. The proposed work will develop two novel reaction manifolds for the activation and functionalization of unsaturated and aliphatic alcohols. Successful implementation of this work may allow for broadening the scope of the cross-coupling reactivity of alcohols and providing a framework for further development of synthetic methodologies for alcohols that can incorporate and expand the use of radical cascades and radical sorting. The PI intends to form an organization that engages in outreach activities to students from underrepresented groups with local teachers to provide supplies, professional development, and seminars from scientists of diverse backgrounds. The PI will also work with the “Chem-STEM Outreach Initiative” and the Alliance for Diversity in Science and Engineering (ADSE) at Princeton University to hold panels and discussions with local high school students about careers in STEM. The PI will also continue working as a computational and experimental mentor with the iCARBON Summer Program initially co-founded and co-organized by the PI, to provide resources to students from across the country and from disparate backgrounds to participate in computational chemical research virtually, without the barrier of meeting in person.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.