The Chemical Synthesis Program of the Chemistry Division supports a project led by Professor Justin Lopchuk at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center. He is developing new methods for organic synthesis. This project focuses on the formation carbon-nitrogen bonds. Many important chemicals, especially pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and materials, have carbon-nitrogen bonds. The new methods emphasize reagents that have been overlooked in previous work. Of particular interest is the use nitrogen-containing precursors with unusual electron counts. Another class of reagents features small rings containing one or two nitrogen atoms. In addition to the laboratory research, Professor Lopchuk is leading several efforts to broaden the impact of his work. He is organizing workshops to facilitate collaborations and educating nonchemists about the value of organic and medicinal chemistry.
Nitrogen-containing compounds are ubiquitous in nature and comprise the majority of small molecule pharmaceuticals as well many of those in development. Supported by the Chemical Synthesis Program of the Chemistry Division, Professor Justin Lopchuk at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center is leading a program to invent new routes to carbon-nitrogen (C-N) bonds. Despite the considerable recent advances, both electrophilic amination and radical amination remain challenging, especially in the context of intermolecular reactions. The goal of this project is the design and synthesis of a series of strained bench-stable reagents for the required electrophilic or radical aminations. These reagents are used in a diverse array of reactions and give versatile intermediates. The goal is the rapid preparation of a wide range of high value nitrogen-containing compounds including amines, hydrazines, and heterocycles. These components are relevant to medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, agrochemistry and materials science. The broader impacts of this work starts with the creation of a novel compound screening library for drug discovery. An interactive workshop on synthetic organic chemistry is being developed to facilitate communication among staff throughout the Moffitt Cancer Center and the University of South Florida.
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.
