0900 - 0940 Eric N Jacobsen

Studies in H-Bonding Catalysis 

In addition to its crucial role as a structural determinant, hydrogen bonding plays an important functional role in catalysis. H-bonding is utilized by enzymes promote a wide range of chemical processes, and organic chemists have begun to appreciate the tremendous potential offered by hydrogen bonding as a mechanism for electrophile activation in small-molecule, synthetic catalyst systems. In particular, chiral hydrogen bond donors have emerged recently as a broadly applicable class of catalysts for enantioselective synthesis. This lecture will provide an analysis of the structural and mechanistic features that contribute to high enantioselectivity in hydrogen bond-mediated catalytic processes, with examples provided from our own work with thiourea-based chiral catalysts