Research Projects

Organofluorine compounds are not found in natural resources, but 20 to 25% of blockbuster drug molecules and licensed herbicides contain at least one fluorine atom. New functional fluorinated materials are emerging for sensing, catalysis, and environmental protection. Recent reports show that modern fluorinated materials have extraordinary properties, such as cross-linkable dendrimers with excellent thermal stability, highly effective and recyclable adsorbents for oil and heavy metal, and gelling polymers with excellent optical and electrical properties. 18F-labeled organic molecules are used routinely as contrast agents in positron emission tomography (PET). Since the discovery of organofluorine molecule as an anti-cancer agent (5-fluorouracil), significant research activity has been dedicated to understanding the role of fluorine atoms in enhanced drug molecule activity and improved material properties. The fluorine atom has been described as a "small atom with big ego" due to its unique properties. The -fluorine effect and -CF3 effect on carbocation and carbanion are well known for modulating electronic effects and adopting unusual conformational preferences. Furthermore, research activity in fluorination reactions has been extensive, with methods ranging from nucleophilic fluorination to electrophilic fluorination. This proposal aims to develop metalloradical catalysed radical fluorination reactions of nonactivated C(sp3)-H bonds via remote functionalization, with a focus on enantioselective radical fluorination reactions. The ultimate goal is to streamline the process of late-stage diversification of biologically active molecules.