Department of Chemistry
Aldrich Seminar in Synthetic Organic Chemistry
9:45 a.m. Thursday, February 20, 331 Smith Hall
Professor
Vy Maria Dong
Department of Chemistry
University of California-Irvine
A Few of My Favorite Rings:
Catalysis Inspired
by Natural Lactones and Lactams
Research interests encompass inventing better tools for organic synthesis, including new
reagents, catalysts, and strategies. Specific goals include finding ways to directly convert
carbon-hydrogen bonds into other functional groups, use carbon dioxide as a raw material,
and make biologically active heterocycles.
Website:
http://www.chem.uci.edu/~dongv/research.html
Abstract
Lactones and lactams make up a range of structurally complex and functional
compounds, from antibiotics to nanomaterials. Inspired by Nature’s cyclic
architectures, we are developing catalytic methods that feature stereoselective
hydroacylation.1,2 Hydroacylation, the formal addition of an aldehyde C–H bond
across an unsaturated functional group, is an ideal approach to carbonyl
functionalities commonly found in bioactive molecules. We aim to advance
hydroacylation as a unified strategy for transforming aldehydes into chiral esters,
ketones, and amides. In this context, my lecture will discuss the design, scope, and
mechanism for hydroacylation methods using both rhodium and ruthenium catalysis.
Our long-term goal is to develop more green, versatile, and efficient strategies for
constructing heterocycles, polyketides, and other biologically relevant motifs.
(1) Murphy, S. K.; Dong V. M. “Enantioselective Ketone Hydroacylation using Noyori’s Transfer Hydrogenation Catalyst.”
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 5553.
(2) von Delius, M.; Le, C. M.; Dong V. M. “Rhodium-Phosphoramidite Catalyzed Alkene Hydroacylation: Mechanism and
Octaketide Natural Product Synthesis.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 15022.
Host: Professor Christopher Douglas