Acylketenes in Catalytic Cycloaddition Reactions

The reactivity of acylketenes in carbon-carbon bond forming reaction has been scarcely explored, despite their ease of access and stability. The student funded through this program will investigate the reactivity of these unexplored species in intramolecular transition metal-catalyzed cycloaddition reactions.

These studies will establish the reactivity of acylketenes in cycloadditions, and reveal novel reactivity pathways, leading to tunable catalytic carbon-carbon bond forming reactions, and allowing to access a diversity of structures by simply modifying the catalysts/ketenophiles. The resulting synthetic strategies will provide expedient entries into an array of complex carbocyclic frameworks found in biologically active natural products and pharmaceuticals. During the course of this project on the exploration of the synthetic potential of acylketenes, the student will receive an excellent theoretical and practical training in synthesis and catalysis.

Faculty Supervisor:

Eric Fillion

Student:

Partner:

Université Grenoble Alpes

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Waterloo

Program: