With this Award, the Chemical Synthesis Program of the NSF Division of Chemistry is supporting the research of Professor Richmond Sarpong of the University of California, Berkeley who is pursuing specific (selective) ways to modify molecules known as pyrones. The modifications produce new compounds that have important chemical properties. The research group is particularly interested in the synthesis of complex molecules found in small quantities in nature (natural products). The modification of pryones is conducted using metal catalysts but when there are multiple choices for modification, achieving a single, preferred option is challenging. Through the careful choice of chemical reagents and conditions, Professor Sarpong and coworkers strategically design specific changes in the starting molecules, setting the stage for the synthesis of compounds of potential pharmaceutical relevance. Professor Sarpong and his coworkers serve as mentors to under-represented minority students in the greater Oakland, CA area. They also visit classrooms and conduct demonstrations at area science festivals. Professor Sarpong continues to inspire students worldwide through TED-style talks.
Professor Sarpong and his coworkers use 3,5-dibromo-2-pyrone for the synthesis of various classes of natural products. Key to this approach is site-selective cross-couplings to a dihalogenated pyrone, which sets the stage for sequential pericyclic processes resulting in a rapid increase in target-relevant complexity. Through this combination of controlled peripheral functionalization and rearrangements of the core structure (framework reconstruction), the synthesis of complex natural products such as secondary metabolites isolated from Incarvillea delavayi, Cephalotaxus sinensis and decahydroazulenes is studied. These advances provide complementary approaches to complex molecules of biological relevance starting from a relatively simple starting input, 3,5-dibromo-pyrone. As a part of this project, Professor Sarpong is training his coworkers and preparing them for careers in chemical industries.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
