CAREER: Donor-acceptor-acceptor Homo-Nazarov cyclizations for facile access into functionalized six-membered ring systems

有了这一职业奖，化学系的化学合成项目正在支持佐治亚理工学院斯特凡·法兰西教授的研究。法国教授将开发基于刘易斯酸催化的供体-受体-受体环丙烷的高-纳扎罗夫环化反应的六元碳环和杂环骨架的合成方法。具体目标包括：1)使用新型的给体-受体-受体环丙烷底物；2)使用其他官能化的受体基团；3)通过手性转移或不对称催化实现不对称诱导；4)利用碳正离子重排作为合成工具；以及5)它们在合成复杂分子方面的应用。法国教授还将发起三个将研究与教学交织在一起的教育项目。第一个项目涉及当地一所高中的一个外展项目，该项目通过设计和实施科学中的案例研究方法来促进主动学习。第二个项目涉及重新设计本科有机化学概论课程，以消除传统的讲授模式。第三个项目的重点是通过招聘努力和指导活动相结合，增加在化学领域任职人数不足的少数群体的人数。除了这些教育影响，这项工作可能导致更有效的方法来制备复杂的有机分子。因此，它将对任何需要合成分子的领域产生影响，如制药、化工、农业和生物化学研究活动。

With this CAREER award, the Chemical Synthesis program of the Division of Chemistry is supporting the research of Professor Stefan France of Georgia Institute of Technology. Professor France will develop methodology for the synthesis of six-membered carbocyclic and heterocyclic frameworks based on Lewis acid-catalyzed homo-Nazarov cyclizations of donor-acceptor-acceptor cyclopropanes. Specific aims include: 1) the use of novel donor-acceptor-acceptor cyclopropane substrates; 2) the use of other functionalizable acceptor groups; 3) the achievement of asymmetric induction through chirality transfer or asymmetric catalysis; 4) the exploitation of carbocation rearrangements as a synthetic tool; and 5) their applications toward the synthesis of complex molecules. Professor France will also initiate three educational projects that interweave research and teaching. The first project involves an outreach program at a local high school that promotes active learning through the design and implementation of the case study method in science. The second project involves redesigning the undergraduate introductory organic chemistry course in order to eliminate the traditional lecture model. The third project is focused on increasing the representation of underrepresented minorities in chemistry through a combination of recruiting efforts and mentoring activities. Besides these educational impacts, this work could lead to more efficient methods for the preparation of complex organic molecules. Therefore, it will have an impact on any area in which the synthesis of molecules is needed, such as the pharmaceutical, chemical, agricultural industry, and biological and chemical research activities.