Molecular recognition as inspiration for new classes of catalysts

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Our research takes place at the interface of two fields in the area of organic chemistry: (1) Catalysis and organic reactivity: we develop new catalysts that enable the efficient, "green" preparation of useful organic compounds. We are particularly interested in processes that are able to convert readily available, renewable sugar feedstocks into value-added compounds for use in drug manufacture or as probes in biological research. (2) Molecular recognition: we are interested in developing fundamental understanding of the interactions between molecules. Our specific interest is in the noncovalent interactions of halogen atoms that are responsible for such diverse phenomena as drug-receptor interactions, the properties of organic materials, and the reactivity of halogen compounds. Our research in these seemingly diverse areas is motivated by the idea that knowledge of the interactions between molecules can be exploited in the design of catalysts able to bind to their substrates in predictable ways. For example, boron compounds known to interact with sugars at specific positions were the starting point for our development of catalysts able to promote reactions of sugars site-selectively. This research program enables students to acquire a diverse and flexible skill set that is increasingly valued by employers in the scientific and high-tech sectors. These skills include organic synthesis and structural elucidation, computational chemistry, quantitative studies of solution-phase binding phenomena, and carbohydrate chemistry.