Career: Catalytic, Enantioselective C-C Bond Forming Reactions of Imines

Leckta教授的多方面研究工作探索了亚胺的不对称转化。 这些反应包括手性刘易斯酸催化的烯醇-和烯丙基硅烷和烯酮甲硅烷基缩醛与亚氨基酯的加成反应、不对称Staudinger和Baylis-Hillman反应。 此外，正在进行基于乙硼烷作为双官能刘易斯酸和（双）膦配体的新型催化剂的开发，同时结合计算以评估和可能设计有用的催化物质。 在实验和理论之间建立桥梁是Leckta教授教学目标的标志，他的课程的入门和高级方面都采用了计算化学。 此外，还计划将高中教师包括在内，目标之一是开发视觉辅助工具，以激发高中生的兴趣。有了这个职业奖，合成有机计划支持约翰霍普金斯大学的托马斯莱克塔博士的研究和教学工作。 莱克塔教授的研究涉及制造含氮分子的新方法，这种含氮分子被称为胺，其三维形状或分子的手性是可控的。 在设计生物分子和药物的合成时，这一点尤为重要。 莱克塔教授的教学强调使用计算机作为预测化学反应结果的工具，然后再投入时间在实验室中实际尝试化学反应。 一个推广计划正在计划中，该计划将涉及高中教师，并为高中学生提供高质量的图形和计算演示。

Professor Leckta's multifaceted research efforts explore aspects of asymmetric transformations of imines. These include addition reactions of enol- and allylsilanes and ketene silyl acetals to imino esters catalyzed by chiral Lewis acids, asymmetric Staudinger and Baylis-Hillman reactions. Also, the development of novel catalysts based on diborane as a bifunctional Lewis acid and (bis)phosphine ligands is being pursued while incorporating computations to evaluate and possibly design useful catalytic species. Creating a bridge between the experimental and the theoretical is a hallmark of Professor Leckta'a teaching goals, with computational chemistry employed in the introductory as well as advanced aspects of his curriculum. Further, plans are being made to include high school teachers with one goal being to develop visual aids to pique the interest of high school students.With this CAREER award, the Synthetic Organic Program supports the research and teaching efforts of Dr. Thomas Leckta of Johns Hopkins University. Professor Leckta's research deals with new ways to make nitrogen-containing molecules called amines in such a way that the three- dimensional shape or chirality of the molecule is controlled. This is ever more important when designing the synthesis of biomolecules and drugs. Professor Leckta's teaching emphasizes the use of computers as a tool for predicting the outcome of chemical reactions before time is invested in actually trying the chemistry in the laboratory. An outreach program is being planned that will involve high school teachers and provide demonstrations of high-quality graphics and computations to high school students.