About the Seminar:

One-carbon homologation reactions constitute a powerful set of chemical reactions, due largely to the retrosynthetic simplicity and utility afforded by introducing a methylene unit (–CH2–) adjacent to a functional group. These are fundamental reactions and classical versions, such as the Arndt-Eistert reaction and Kowalski ester homologation, are frequently taught in undergraduate organic chemistry courses. Classical one-carbon homologation reactions rely on harsh reagents and are carried out over multiple steps, and modern advancements seek to simplify these transformations and make them more practical. Alcohols are one of the most common functional groups in organic chemistry, are pervasive in bioactive molecules, and can be transformed into a wide variety of other valuable functional groups. One-carbon homologation of alcohols has been achieved in a limited fashion, but current methods proceed over multiple steps and function only on a narrow class of alcohols. I propose to develop a practical and general one-pot homologation of alcohols – a transformation that would inevitably find widespread adoption in organic synthesis.