Synthetic Organic Chemistry
My research is centered on
designing and making new molecules and
ligands that can be used to help answer
interesting chemical questions. One area of
study that has important implications in the
nuclear energy cycle has students making
novel N-donor ligands that will be tested for
their separation selectivity and efficiency of
Ln/An ions. A second project has students
working on an alternative method for the
synthesis of compounds which contain the
dihydroisobenzofuran substructure using an
intramolecular cyclization reaction. These
students are currently exploring the
versatility of this method in order to adapt
this new cyclization to the making of natural
products, with special interests toward a
recently isolated natural product, pestacin.
