Organic Chemistry Seminar

Late-stage functionalization reactions should reliably functionalize already complex molecules to quickly access value-added molecular diversity. Late-stage functionalization is desirable in many areas of discovery such as in drug or agrochemical development and a requirement in other areas such as the synthesis of positron-emission tomography (PET) tracers. I will describe the development of novel, modern highly selective reactions in late-stage functionalization, as well as their application in transition-metal-catalyzed and photoredox reactions, with a focus on the synthesis of 18F and 19F containing complex small molecules. In particular, I will describe the development of a broadly useful new C-H functionalization reaction to create molecular complexity for applications in catalysis, drug discovery, and medicine.