This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
This project focuses on the development of a novel method for the formation of organocatalysts using the self-assembly of designed precatalyst modules and its application in asymmetric catalysis. While organocatalysts have been shown to rival the traditional transition- metal catalysts and even biocatalysts in asymmetric inductions, the current design of organocatalysts based on pure covalent bonds requires time-consuming syntheses and purifications. This project studies a combinatorial approach for the formation of organocatalysts from carefully designed precatalyst modules. These modules can self-assemble under the reaction conditions through non-covalent ionic interactions to afford the desired organocatalysts and modification of the catalyst structure is easily achievable by switching these modules without chemical synthesis. Studies to further elucidate the mechanism of this catalytic system will be undertaken. Hypothesis driven studies of the application of this method in asymmetric catalysis will be also performed.
With this award, the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program is supporting the research of Professor Cong-Gui Zhao of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Professor Zhao's research efforts revolve around the development of modularly designed organocatalysts for asymmetric reactions. Such chemistry will contribute to environmentally benign methods for chemical synthesis since the catalytic system is purely small organic molecules derived from the readily available chiral pools. Successful development of the methodology will have a positive impact on synthesis in the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries.
