Project Summary/Abstract
The foundation of the Kim Research Group at Temple University is built upon the development of new designer
reagents and methods to access high-value carbonyl compounds from acetal-based radical precursors. To that
end, this proposal strives to implement acetal radicals as a means to access a diverse array of medicinally
relevant molecular platforms. To address these challenges, we have designed a set of novel reagents to
overcome rapid decarbonylation side reactions of acyl radicals and developed a platform to synthesize carbonyl
compounds of interest to those in the agrochemical, pharmaceutical, and material industries. Additionally, our
fundamental research in acetal radicals has provided alternative opportunities to study them in fragment coupling
reactions. This work will aid in the rapid construction of molecular complexity by combining C–H activation with
C–C bond formations to construct a wide variety of molecular scaffolds. This research is well poised to tackle
necessary synthetic challenges in order to build pharmaceutically relevant precursors, allowing it to be widely
adopted within the synthetic medicinal community. We have devised two research programs to address these
research aims. Research Program I will explore the use of acetal radicals to install high-value ketones that can
serve as carboxylic acid bioisosteres. Research Program II will explore alternative C–C couplings of acetal
radicals to install highly oxidized carbon fragments for complex molecular syntheses. This research will be
essential in shaping the next generation of design principles for improved pharmaceuticals to tackle human
diseases more effectively.