Research Projects

The study aims to create a unified strategy for synthesizing biologically active indole and tetrahydroquinoline diterpenoids like tubingensin A and aspernomine. These alkaloids have various biological activities, including anti-insecticidal and cytotoxic properties. Their diverse and complex architecture makes them important targets for total synthesis. The strategy will use a versatile common intermediate, addressing selectivity and reactivity issues. Mechanistic studies will be conducted using NMR, IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and density functional theory (DFT) computations to identify the origin of reactivity and selectivity for key transformations. The goal is to enrich the field of natural product total synthesis and drug discoveries by addressing selectivity and reactivity issues.