Necessity is the Mother of Invention: Natural Products and the Chemistry They Inspire

Please join Yale Chemistry for a Silliman Seminar in organic chemistry with Prof. Sarah Reisman, Bren Professor of Chemistry and Norman Davidson Leadership Chair of the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology.

Summary: The chemical synthesis of natural products provides an exciting platform from which to conduct fundamental research in chemistry and biology. Our group is currently pursuing the synthesis of several structurally complex natural products, with a particular focus on the development of new convergent fragment coupling and annulation strategies. The densely packed arrays of heteroatoms and stereogenic centers that constitute these polycyclic targets challenge the limits of current technology and inspire the development of new synthetic strategies and tactics. As part of our target-directed synthesis program, are developing machine learning approaches to derisk tactics in the late stages of multistep synthesis. In concert with our total synthesis efforts, we have an active program on the development of new reductive coupling reactions, including Ni-catalyzed asymmetric reactions of C(sp3 ) electrophiles and Smcatalyzed reductive transformations. This seminar will describe the latest progress in our target-directed synthesis and reaction development efforts.

For more information about Prof. Reisman's research: Reisman Group

Faculty Host: Prof. Scott Miller

This seminar is generously sponsored by the Mrs. Hepsa Ely Silliman Memorial Fund.

Location: Sterling Chemistry Lab (SCL), Room 160