Chemistry Seminar - Synthesis of Natural and Unnatural Products
Title: Synthesis of Natural and Unnatural Products
Speaker: Associate Professor Roderick Bates, Nanyang Technological University
Abstract: One justification for the endeavour of natural product synthesis is to develop a route that is amenable for the synthesis of analogs for biomedical testing. Another is to confirm (or refute) proposed structures. A third justification is to explore new methodology. To illustrate the first, our recent synthesis of salviachinensine A will be discussed. This work, drawing heavily on the classical Friedel-Crafts reaction, displays excellent stero- and regiocontrol. For the second purpose, our work on the synthesis of preisomide will be discussed. In both cases, the natural products were proposed to posses a hydroxylamine moiety although its presence was inferred and not proven. Our synthesis of viriditin illustrates how total synthesis can require the development of new methods. Synthetic methods can also be applied for the synthesis of compounds not found in natural: unnatural products. Our studies on the synthesis of some of these will also be presented.
Bio: Roderick Bates received his PhD at Imperial College, London with Professor Steven Ley, using organoiron complexes for organic synthesis. After a postdoctoral stint at Colorado State University with Professor L. S. Hegedus working on chromium carbenes, he moved to the University of North Texas as an Assistant Professor. After some years spent in Thailand at Chulalongkorn University and the Chulabhorn Research Institute and a short stay in the ill-fated Department of Chemistry at Exeter in England, he joined Nanyang Technological University as a pioneer member of the Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry. He is currently an Associate Professor, a Fellow of NTU’s Teaching Excellence Academy and the University’s Research Integrity Officer. He has research interests in the use of transition metals in organic synthesis, and stereocontrol in natural product synthesis and drug discovery.
About School research seminars
Seminars cover all aspects of chemistry and molecular biosciences and are delivered by visiting national and international academics. PhD completion seminars are also incorporated into the program.
Seminars are usually held in person and occasionally via zoom. All are welcome to attend.
Contacts
- Chemistry: Dr Rowan Young, Dr David Cantillo
- Molecular Biosciences: Dr Mathew Jones