This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program supports the research conducted by Professor Huw M. L. Davies of Emory University. The $575,000 grant, awarded on August 1, 2024, is focused on developing practical methods for synthetic transformations that will aid the synthesis of next-generation drug candidates.
Specifically, the Davies group is studying the use of rhodium and ruthenium catalysts to enable enantioselective metal carbene transformations with extremely low catalyst loadings, potentially achieving up to 1 million catalyst turnovers. This work aims to improve the commercial viability and sustainability of these catalytic processes, as the only reagents needed are the substrates and air-borne oxygen, with nitrogen and water as the only byproducts. The research also involves collaborating with AbbVie's process group to evaluate the application of these low-loading catalysts in an industrial setting. Additionally, the project is training students to develop practical synthetic methods for drug development.
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