The research of Dr. Donald Deardorff is supported by the Synthetic Organic Chemistry Program. Deardorff is an associate professor of chemistry at Occidental College. He is studying new methods for the stereocontrolled preparation of carbocyclic analogues of purine nucleosides, molecules having important applications in the development of new medicines. In particular, new approaches using organopalladium chemistry will be examined. The goal of the project is to develop novel synthetic strategies which permit facile, stereocontrolled access to both saturated and unsaturated carbocyclic analogues of purine nucleosides. Strategies to be used make reiterative use of (pi-allyl)palladium chemistry. Natural product targets used to showcase developed synthetic technologies include neplanocin and aristeromycin. The introduction of chirality into the synthesis will be accomplished by employing enzymatic reactions to prepare key starting materials.
