Abstract

Stereochemically and topologically complex biologically significant molecules are particularly challenging to prepare in useful quantities, even with state-of-the-art chemical reactions. Therefore, the discovery and development of novel and widely applicable stereoselective chemical reactions stands at the forefront of modern organic chemistry research.

Alkenes constitute an appealing class of starting materials for chemical synthesis because of their wide availability and ease of synthesis.  In this seminar, two approaches towards the functionalization of alkenes will be presented that utilize boron as a key element. The products generated through these methodologies are useful intermediates for chemical synthesis due to the synthetic versatility of the C-B bond. The development of these methods, application to complex molecule synthesis, and mechanistic studies will be described.

Biography

Michael K. Brown (M. Kevin Brown) earned his B.A. in chemistry with honors from Hamilton College in 2002. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Boston College in 2008. After completing his graduate studies, Brown began a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University. After completing his fellowship in 2011, he began his teaching career at Indiana University (IU) as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry. He was later promoted to associate professor in 2017 and full professor in 2021. In 2021, Brown was also awarded the additional title of James F. Jackson Professor of Chemistry. Brown has authored numerous publications focused on topics related to organic chemistry. Brown also holds several professional roles beyond IU. In 2022, he began serving as the associate editor of Organic Synthesis, “a publication of reliable methods for the preparation of organic compounds”. He is also heavily involved with the American Chemical Society, a professional society that encourages scientific research related to chemistry.