James M. Takacs
Charles Bessey Professor
Department Chair
Hamilton Hall 807B
402.472.6232
jtakacs@unlserve.unl.edu
Takacs Research Group
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Recent Publications
Current Research
We are using chirality-directed metal complexation to define an exciting new strategy for preparing chiral self-assembled ligand (SAL) libraries. Using SALs to prepare heterobimetallic catalyst systems is an effective way to carry out catalytic asymmetric synthesis such as the palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic amination reaction illustrated. Screening a library of 50 SALs led to the discovery of an optimal ligand scaffold for this reaction. Asymmetric catalysis will no doubt define the future of modern synthetic organic chemistry and a variety of new reactions and catalyst systems are under investigation.
Figure 1 – SALs, such as the one illustrated above, define an exciting new strategy for asymmetric catalysis.
Figure 2 – Several natural products being synthesized using chemistry developed in the Takacs group.
Few scientific endeavors can compare to the challenge of complex molecule total synthesis. Metal-catalyzed reactions under development in my group are being used as pivotal strategies for the asymmetric total syntheses of a variety of biologically active structures, including for example, prostaglandin and isoprostanes, the polyether antibiotic A80577, and as illustrated, dolabellane diterpenes and indolizidine alkaloids. Here again, combichem strategies for reaction optimization play a key role in our studies.
Several projects collaborate with groups in other disciplines to provide diverse synthetic opportunities on interdisciplinary research problems. The design and synthesis of antimicrobial drugs target a novel class of microbial enzymes, a project carried out in collaboration with groups in the biochemistry department and animal science departments. Other collaborative projects directed toward enzyme inhibition and drug design involve the design and synthesis of chemical libraries. A collaboration with a research group in the physics and materials science department works to improve the performance of piezoelectric and related devices fabricated from designed polymers using nanoscale material structuring.
Figure 3. Combichem techniques often play an important role in the projects.
- asymmetric catalysis
- self-assembly
- combinatorial catalysis
- metal-catalyzed cyclizations
- synthetic methods development
- natural product total synthesis
- combinatorial synthesis
- enzyme inhibitor design
- parallel synthesis
- drug design
- medicinal chemistry
- organic materials chemistry
- polymer synthesis
A graduate or postdoctoral student in my group can expect to receive training in multi-step organic synthesis and significant exposure to one or more of the following specialties: catalysis and organometallic chemistry; asymmetric synthesis; natural products total synthesis; combinatorial chemistry and parallel methods; self-assembly; the design of tight-binding enzyme inhibitors; polymer chemistry; and organic materials chemistry.
