New Approaches to Catalytic Activation of Alkynes
In this project funded by the Chemical Synthesis Program of the Chemistry Division of the National Science Foundation, Professor Valery V. Fokin of the Department of Chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute will develop a mechanistically driven approach to catalytic reaction optimization that takes advantage of real-time monitoring of reactions without putting them into constraints of model systems. Reactions to be probed involve 2+3 cycloadditions to alkynes to form a variety of five-membered heterocycles which undergo further reactions to form a number of reactive intermediates, including