THE SYNTHESES, CHARACTERIZATIONS, & STRATEGIES OF HIGH-VALUE, DIVERSE, ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
Organic synthesis is the application of one or more reactions to the preparation of a particular target molecule, and can pertain to a single-step transformation or to a number of sequential chemical steps depicted by a scheme overall. The selection of a reaction or series of reactions while considering chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivities in addition to protecting group strategies & redox manipulations highlights the complexity in designing & executing a synthetic plan while making a judgement about what is the most effective and efficient plan to synthesize any given chemical compound among numerous available options. To this end, chemical synthesis is the unifying theme of this thesis & was utilized and strategically applied to construct increasingly complex and diverse molecular architectures.
Being the precise science that organic chemistry is, this discipline extends into many areas such as technology, biology & medicine, and even into the fine arts since it fosters unparalleled creativity and imagination in its practice. Research foci in chemical synthesis can encompass both the discovery and development of powerful reactions and the invention of strategies for the construction of defined target molecules, natural or man-made, more or less complex. Studies in the former area, synthetic methodology, fuel and enable studies in the latter area, target molecule and total synthesis campaigns, where the latter area offers a testing ground for the former. Consequently, the bulk of this research work is in organic methodology and will be covered in greater depth during chapters 2 and 3 where strategies, optimizations, & analyses are elaborated upon in light of searching & navigating the vast body of chemical literature in an effort to broaden and strengthen one's laboratory expertise as a synthetic chemist. Lastly, chapter 4 focuses not on traditional synthesis but on organic structure analysis relying on various techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared (IR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy in combination with mass spectrometry (MS) and/or X-ray crystallography to hypothesize and confirm established structures, specifically phenolic oligomers. An ability to use spectroscopic data to evaluate organic structures by combining practical experience with fundamental knowledge will serve as a hallmark skill in one’s ability to problem-solve as an organic chemist.
History
Degree Type
- Master of Science
Department
- Chemistry
Campus location
- West Lafayette