Federal Grant Award Summary

Rice University received a $410,184 Project Grant award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), effective April 1, 2026, with completion targeted for January 31, 2031. The award supports a five-year fundamental research program focused on developing innovative synthetic chemistry methods for nitrogen-containing compounds, specifically targeting streamlined synthesis of N-unprotected chiral heterocycles and amines through organocatalytic and transition metal catalytic approaches. This research addresses critical gaps in synthetic organic chemistry that limit the ability to efficiently incorporate nitrogen into pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and materials science applications.

The research deliverables include the development of three mechanistically distinct amination strategies: (1) catalyst-free olefin difunctionalization methods utilizing N-acyl-N-halo-O-sulfonyl hydroxylamines to enable direct halo-hydroxylamination of feedstock olefins; (2) photochemical and chiral acid-catalyzed aziridination processes to expand the scope of nitrogen transfer to isolated and conjugated olefins; and (3) additional nitrogen-transfer methodologies leveraging novel mechanistic approaches. These synthetic advances are intended to facilitate the rapid exploration of nitrogen-rich chemical spaces critical for developing next-generation pharmaceuticals and biologically active compounds, thereby advancing fundamental knowledge in synthetic chemistry with applications across multiple industries.