The focus of this research is the implementation of new and undeveloped reactions, with an emphasis on organometallic chemistry, photochemistry, and reactive intermediates, which provide significantly simplified and efficient solutions to general problems in synthesis, which allow for the advancement of the fundamental understanding of the theory, mechanism, structure-reactivity relationships, and selectivities of these processes, and which provide access to new materials of structural and/or biological importance. The research addresses three major areas. First is the development of arene-alkene meta-cycloadditions, including the first studies on asymmetric cycloaddition and the application to the synthesis of crinipellin, the most complex tetraquinane known, as well as a novel approach to new materials incorporating the fenestrane ring system. The second area is the development of new transition metal mediated reactions, including systematic studies of specific natural products. The third area is an investigation of radical facilitated rearrangements, and as yet undeveloped and potentially general concept of synthetic and mechanistic significance. Further significance of this program derives from the enormous potential of photochemistry and organometallic chemistry in development of more environmentally acceptable processes, as these methods provide little or no reagent derived waste. With this Renewal award, the Synthetic Organic Program is supporting the research of Dr. Paul A. Wender of the Department of Chemistry at Stanford University. Professor Wender will focus his work on the design and development of fundamentally new reactions, reagents, and strategies for organic synthesis. The emphasis of the research is on the implementation of new or undeveloped reactions which provide significantly simplified and structural and/or biological importance. Fu rther significance of this program derives from the enormous potential of photochemistry and organometallic chemistry, central themes of this project, in the development of more environmentally acceptable processes, as these methods provide little or no reagent derived waste.
