Organic Chemistry Seminar

Research in the Romero group is centered on the development and mechanistic study of catalytic chemical reactions and their application toward problems in synthesis and drug discovery. To date, our group has elucidated two novel catalytic platforms in the areas of Lewis base-catalyzed stereoselective halofunctionalization and zirconocene hydride (ZrH) catalysis. The first research program regards our efforts to develop a unified strategy for the interhalogenation of alkenes via Lewis base activation of sulfinyl halides. Notably, the use of 1–3 mol% of a chiral Lewis base catalyst enables a novel enantioselective bromochlorination of chalcones. The second part of this seminar will focus on our efforts to develop a general platform for zirconocene hydride catalysis, utilizing hydrosilanes as mild reductants. Our findings demonstrate the utility of ZrH catalysis for unconventional deoxygenative functional group interconversions, including the catalytic semi-reductive diversification of amides and esters.