This project will further develop innovative screening methodology to facilitate combinatorial catalysis research, and in so doing, to explore synthetically interesting transformations. The scope of the in situ enzymatic screening methods developed in the last funding period will be studied. In addition, a fluorescence plate reader will be investigated in order to improve the throughput of the screening methods. The resulting methods will be used to study four different reaction classes: transition metal mediated allylic substitution, hydrolytic vinyl/propenyl ether resolution, expanded epoxide hydrolytic kinetic resolution, and asymmetric alkene dihydroxylation.
With this award, the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program is supporting the research of Professor David B. Berkowitz of the Department of Chemistry at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Professor Berkowitz's research efforts revolve around the development of efficient screening methods for combinatorial libraries using enzymes as the sensitive sensors. Such methods allow a large number of compounds to be examined quickly for their catalytic activities for organic reactions. His studies could lead to the discovery of new and efficient catalysts for useful synthetic transformations.
