# Development and Applications of Reactions to Enable Molecular Rigidification

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2024 · $371,371

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Rigidity is an important property of molecules that increases the likelihood of their success as drugs. Our goal
with support of this MIRA grant is to develop reactions that enable molecular rigidification. We describe a
research program that enables access to rigid small and medium sized-strained rings. Our innovative approach
to obtaining rigid molecules is to use sulfone anions as carbene surrogates. We will also develop new methods
to stabilize highly reactive alkylidene units using palladium catalysis. The knowledge gained from these studies
using reactive carbenes will also be used to enable skeletal editing of heterocycles. We will apply the reactions
developed in this proposal to synthesize complex natural products and their derivatives with tubulin binding
properties and antifungal properties.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10939998
- **Project number:** 1R35GM155260-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Sidney Malik Wilkerson-Hill
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $371,371
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-07-15 → 2029-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10939998

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10939998, Development and Applications of Reactions to Enable Molecular Rigidification (1R35GM155260-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-29 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10939998. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*