The Synthesis/Catalysis Research Activity Group is collective to develop the state-of-art catalysts, synthetic methodologies, reaction mechanisms, and synthetic routes for organic chemicals, natural products and materials. The following are the major research activities of SCRAG:

(1). Development of novel catalysts and catalytic reactions for highly efficient organic synthesis; Green Chemistry. This includes the study and discovery of novel transition-metal catalysts (Arndtsen, Butler, Chan, Gleason, C.J. Li, Moores), biological catalysts (Auclair, Bohle, Sleiman), nano- and dendrimer-based catalysts (Kakkar, Lennox, Moores) for synthetic purposes; new chemical reactivity such as C-H activation (Auclair, Lennox, C.J. Li), asymmetric catalysis and theory (Arndtsen, Auclair, Gleason, C.J. Li, Moitessier, Moores), multi-component reactions and combinatorial chemistry (Arndtsen, Gleason, C.J. Li, Moitessier, Tsantrizos); innovative chemistry in alternative solvents such as water, ionic liquids, and liquid CO2 (Chan, Gray, C.J. Li, Moores); photocatalytic reactions, reaction mechanisms, and physical organic chemistry (Cosa, Farrell, Harpp, Lennox); and computational chemistry (Gleason, Moitessier)

(2). Synthesis of biological chemicals, organic materials and natural products: Focus areas are total synthesis of natural products (Bohle, Chan, Damha, Gleason, Guindon, C.J. Li, Moitessier, Tsantrizos), synthesis of DNA and RNA analogs (Chan, Damha, Lennox, Sleiman), synthesis of amino acid and peptides (Arndtsen, Auclair, Chan, Gleason, C.J. Li, Moitessier, Tsantrizos), synthesis and study of carbohydrate derivatives (Auclair, Chan, Damha, Gray, C.J. Li, Marchessault, van de Ven), and study of specialty organic chemical and materials (Eisenberg, Farrell, Harpp, Hay, Perepichka, Sleiman).

1. EVALUATION

Students will be assigned to a committee of professors, including the thesis supervisor. The student evaluation will consist of:

2. COURSES

Given the diverse research being performed in the SCTRG the course selection is by definition unique and student tailored. Each Master's student is expected to complete 4 courses and each Doctoral student is expected to complete 5-6 courses, the identity of which will be approved by the student's advisor and committee. Suggested courses include, for example:

CHEM-462 Green Chemistry
CHEM-503 Drug Design and Development 1
CHEM-504 Drug Design and Development 2
CHEM-552 Physical Organic Chemistry
CHEM-612 Organometallic Chemistry
CHEM-621 Recent Advances in Organic Chemistry
CHEM-629 Organic Synthesis

In addition, all chemistry students in their first year must take:
CHEM-650 Seminars in Chemistry 1
CHEM-651 Seminars in Chemistry 2