The University of Chicago's Department of Chemistry is honored to welcome Professor Eric Jacobsen, the Sheldon Emery Professor of Chemistry at Harvard University, as the distinguished speaker for the Kharasch Lectures on April 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Professor Jacobsen, who served as Chair of Harvard's Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology from 2010-2015, leads a research group of over 20 scientists dedicated to discovering and understanding new catalytic reactions. His work on asymmetric catalysis, particularly the development of catalysts like those used in the eponymous Jacobsen epoxidation and other widely adopted reactions, has had a profound impact on both academic research and industrial synthesis. His mechanistic insights have also advanced the fundamental principles of catalyst design. The Kharasch Lectures, a distinguished lecture series in the Department of Chemistry, will provide a platform for Professor Jacobsen to share insights from his illustrious career. The lectures will span three days, each focusing on a different facet of his research:
- April 1st: Generality and Privileged Catalysts: Professor Jacobsen will discuss the principles behind general asymmetric catalytic reactions, which work effectively with a wide range of starting materials. He will also introduce a new class of "privileged chiral catalysts" – remarkably versatile structures that promote high selectivity across diverse reaction types – focusing on dual H-bond donors with aryl-pyrrolidino-tert-leucine motifs.
- April 2nd: New Catalysts for Matteson Homologations: This lecture will unveil a new class of alkali-metal-isothiourea boronate complexes discovered in Jacobsen's lab. These catalysts enable highly selective Matteson homologations (reactions that build carbon chains with precise stereochemistry) and open doors to reactions previously inaccessible with existing methods, including asymmetric Wittig reactions.
- April 3rd: The Role of Mechanistic Insights: Professor Jacobsen will share stories from his research where careful examination of unexpected experimental results led to profound insights into catalytic mechanisms. These insights, often revealing unanticipated cooperative effects between molecules, ultimately led to the development of improved or entirely new catalytic systems.
The University of Chicago community and the broader scientific public are warmly invited to attend these lectures, which promise to offer a fascinating glimpse into innovative asymmetric catalysis and the power of mechanistic investigation in driving chemical innovation.