Research Interests
Current Areas of Study
We aim to solve long-standing challenges in organic synthesis and catalysis. Our research interests focus on selective, catalytic transformations and the synthesis of molecules of interest.
Transition Metal Catalysis
Transition metals provide a powerful platform for reaction discovery. One transition metal of note is palladium, which is typically the go-to metal for Nobel Prize-winning cross-coupling reactions (see scheme in image). We are interested in exploring the catalytic capabilities of catalysts that provide practical advantages but are less understood than palladium. We will use our understanding to then tackle our primary objective and develop reactions unique to the alternative metals.
Enantioselective Catalysis
Despite the high reactivity of arynes and related intermediates, we are interested in these building blocks for their ability to form multiple bonds in a single operation. Though the scientific community has made great progress in intermediate formation, predictive modeling, and applications (see image), procedures using these intermediates in enantioselective strategies are sparse. We explore strategies to render these reactive intermediates as building blocks for enantioselective transformations; we are also interested in other forms of enantioselective catalysis (e.g. transition metal catalysis, see image above).
Synthesis
Challenges in target-oriented synthesis point out gaps in our current methodologies and, as a result, provide a strong foundation for chemical creativity. Molecules of interest include: materials, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and natural products. Of particular interest are photoswitchable molecules and applications therein.