LEAPS-MPS: Exploring the Utility of Bifunctional Reagents for the Visible Light-Mediated Synthesis of Heterocycles and Biologically Relevant Molecules

In this project managed by the Chemistry Division at NSF, Professor Milligan and his students at Thomas Jefferson University aim to design and study new chemical reagents that are capable of forming ring structures in molecules upon exposure to visible light. Prof. Milligan plans to use the newly developed reagents to create new approaches for integrating visible light-enabled chemistry into undergraduate organic chemistry curricula. The project will support and expand partnerships between Thomas Jefferson University and the public school district in the city of Philadelphia. The goals of these efforts are to improve access and understanding of career opportunities in STEM among high school students. Professor Milligan and his students focus on the design, synthesis, and study of reagents that are capable of forming heterocycles upon irradiation with blue LED light. The reagents of interest are “bifunctional” in nature, meaning that they are capable of both traditional polar and visible light-triggered radical reactions sequentially in the same flask. The goal of the work is to leverage the paradigm of chemical reactivity to investigate the synthesis of a variety of cyclic molecules, including molecules of biological interest. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.