The innovation engine for new materials

Luis Limon

Luis Limon

Major: 

Chemistry

Mentor(s): 

Jamie Shaum

Faculty Sponsor(s): 

Javier Read de Alaniz

Faculty Sponsor's Department(s): 

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Project Title: 

Incorporating Nitrogen Functionality Into Small Molecules by Utilizing a Radical Trap Cyclization Process

Project Description: 

Although many efforts have come forth towards the construction of sterically hindered anilines, methodologies for their synthesis have left room for refinement. Their utilization in medicinal chemistry has led to syntheses that employ highly reactive organometallic reagents to form these molecules. While the construction of these compounds often requires reactions such as Buchwald-Hartwig Coupling or reductive amination, we are instead employing a radical trap cyclization process that makes use of readily available starting materials. We are using a cheap and mildly reactive copper catalyst to incorporate nitrogen functionality into small molecules. We hope to develop new routes to the synthesis of pharmaceutical drugs that are cheaper and more versatile than the ones currently employed. The same reaction conditions have been utilized to construct several macrocycles that are often difficult to synthesize. Future work will focus on optimizing these conditions in hopes of applying this process to fabricate albuterol derivatives, a common commercially used bronchodilator used in inhalers.