# Accessing New Chemical Space via Organic Synthesis

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2020 · $630,126

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The research outlined within this proposal will establish new knowledge in the following three
areas: 1) Access to novel borazine structures will be explored, and the usefulness of these
isosteres of all-carbon systems for predictable, highly selective, polyfunctionalization of valuable
core structures will be demonstrated. 2) Photoredox/Ni dual catalysis for cross-coupling of sp3-
hybridized centers was pioneered in our group. These are transformative processes that have,
in an elegant and practical manner, provided the necessary tools to open vast new areas of 3D
chemical space through late-stage cross-coupling in highly functionalized substructures.
Continued innovation will focus on three subtopics: further expansion of the photoredox/Ni dual
catalysis, application of photoredox for application to novel radical transformations, and the
invention of novel radical/polar crossover transformations based on photoredox chemistry. 3)
As a result of progress made within the scope of current grants, an amazing new opportunity to
expand our chemistry has arisen that will provide transformational new tools for drug discovery.
Methods developed in the group are being applied to DNA Encoded Library (DEL) synthesis, a
technology that possesses the capability to sample easily four to five orders of magnitude more
chemical space, less expensively, than any other available high-throughput, small molecule
screening methods. It is widely acknowledged that the major hurdle to full implementation of
DEL technology is the development of robust, versatile, DNA-compatible chemistry, which is
currently exceedingly limited in scope and application. The chemistry outlined in this proposal
addresses this critical gap, and thus has the capability to revolutionize the drug discovery
process.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9929610
- **Project number:** 5R35GM131680-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** GARY A MOLANDER
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $630,126
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-06-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9929610

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9929610, Accessing New Chemical Space via Organic Synthesis (5R35GM131680-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9929610. Licensed CC0.

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