TBD

Amgen Organic Synthesis Lectureship: "Design and Synthesis of the Macrocyclic pan-KRAS Inhibitor AMG 410" & "Fluorination under Hydrogen Bonding Phase-transfer Catalysis"

3:00 PM: "Design and Synthesis of the Macrocyclic pan-KRAS Inhibitor AMG 410" (Ryan Wurz)

Amgen Organic Synthesis Lectureship: Fluorochemicals: The Future We Want

Fluorochemicals quietly power our modern lives serving as medicines, agrochemicals and strategic materials including refrigerants, batteries and electronics. All fluorochemicals are prepared from — the now critical — mineral Fluorspar (CaF2). The first step of any synthesis is the conversion of Fluorspar to hydrogen fluoride (HF) upon treatment with H2SO4 at 300 °C, a process reported by Scheele in 1771. Highly toxic HF has caused serious accidents, some with fatal casualties and severe damage to the environment.

Overman Lecture: The Art of Picking a Target Molecule

Conceptual novelties and trends come and go in organic chemistry, but total synthesis endures – both as a major driver of chemical innovation and as a deeply rewarding intellectual pursuit. I will demonstrate how total synthesis, beyond spurring the development of new chemical methodology, can also provide insights into the biosynthesis of natural products, in particular into biosynthetic pathways that involve pericyclic reactions and cationic rearrangements.

New Synthetic Tools for Precision Polymers & Sustainable Materials

Research in the Romero Polymer Lab focuses on the development of novel methodologies for precision synthesis and functionalization of polymeric materials, seeking to address longstanding challenges in stimuli-responsive materials, optoelectronically active polymers, and polymer sustainability. Our efforts utilize a variety of synthetic tools to achieve molecular-level control over polymer structure and properties, with a particular emphasis on photochemistry, electrochemistry, and main group chemistry.

Organic Syntheses Lecture: Harnessing Radicals and Carbenes To Enable Unconventional Reactivity

Abstract:

Alkene and Arene Functionalizations: Synthesis of Heterocyclic Natural Products

My laboratory explores new strategies to directly transform alkenes and arenes for streamlining bioactive small molecule synthesis. This seminar will cover three themes representative of our research program: 1) oxidative Rh(III)/(IV)/(II)-catalyzed C–H functionalization en-route to benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, an approach distinct from conventional Rh(III) catalysis; 2) synergistic Brønsted acid/Lewis acid catalyzed Friedel–Crafts alkylations enabling direct reactions with unactivated, non-benzylic/allylic/propargylic alcohols; 3) total synthesis of eudemanolide natural products.

Precision glycocalyx editing to define novel therapeutic targets and modalities

The cellular glycocalyx is a complex and dynamic biological interface relaying information between cells and their surroundings. Comprised of membrane-associated glycolipids and glycoproteins, the glycocalyx controls fundamental biological processes, including fertilization, embryogenesis, tissue and organ development, or immunity. Despite being implicated in various diseases, glycans are rarely considered suitable targets for therapies or drug development. One reason for this anomaly is the characteristically weak affinity of individual glycans toward their protein partners.

Finding Catalysts of Gut Reactions: The Gut Microbiota in Disease Onset and Treatment

There are trillions of frenemies living in each person’s intestines; these are the gut bacteria that compose the human gut microbiota. Whether each is friend or foe depends on the symphony of molecules mingling with gut bacteria and their human host.

Organic Syntheses Lecture: Novel Methods in Photochemistry and Photocatalysis

In this presentation I will highlight recent work from my group focused on the use of photochemistry and photocatalysis to aid the synthesis of high-value molecules. The presentation will focus on:

UCI Department of Chemistry

Organic Seminar

TBD