The following topics in selective catalysis
are currently under investigation in our laboratories:
- Asymmetric Catalysis
- Selective C- C Bond Formation and Cleavage
- Enzymatic Oxidations
- Mimics of Physiologically Important Enzymes
- New Approaches to Catalyst Design
The control of absolute and relative stereochemistry
is an underlying goal in much of this work because of the
crucial role played by the three-dimensional structure of
molecules in their biological function. The development
of enantioselective oxidation catalysts has been of particular
interest to us, and we have succeeded in devising highly
enantioselective small-molecule catalysts in which selectivity
is predicated solely through non-bonded interactions. The
utility of these catalysts has been illustrated in our group
through their application to the synthesis of various classes
of important biologically active compounds.
Catalysts
not only accelerate chemical reactions, but can also exert
remarkable kinetic control over product distribution. My research
group is interested in all aspects of selective catalysis,
and especially in the design, discovery, and study of systems
that mediate fundamentally interesting and useful organic
reactions. The search for practical and widely applicable
catalysts for organic synthesis provides a strong driving
force for our research. In addition, we apply the tools of
physical-organic chemistry to gain insight into the transition
structure geometries and molecular recognition events that
control selectivity.