The focus of this research involves the use of an iron carbonyl adjunct to mediate the preparation of cis-divinylcyclopropanes that will rearrange to give 1,4-cycloheptaienes. Further, the stability of (pentenediyl)iron complexes will be utilized to chemically modify precursors to the cis-divinylcyclopropanes and the methodology will be applied to the synthesis of the natural products (+)-hydroxycolorenone, (+)-cladantholide and (+)-clavularin A.
With this award, the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program is supporting the research of Dr. William A. Donaldson of the Department of Chemistry at the Marquette University. Dr. Donaldson will focus his work on using iron-mediated synthesis followed by rearrangement chemistry to prepare seven membered rings. The resulting intermediates will be used for the synthesis of natural products. The project also provides an excellent venue for the training of undergraduate and graduate students and could have broader impact in the pharmaceutical industry.
