Research Projects

This project aims to develop a cost-effective, transition metal-free, and selective approach toward the deoxygenation of α-hydroxy carbonyl compounds to access a variety of specific compounds, including pharmaceutically important scaffolds such as α-arylalkanoic acids. α-Arylalkanoic acids are one of the most important scaffolds present in the drugs used to treat pain, inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis. In general, α-Arylalkanoic acids are synthesized by the carboxylation of benzylic halides, carbonylation of alcohols, α-arylation of alkanoic acids, and α-alkylation of α-aryl carboxylic acids. Such methods use costly transition metal derivatives as catalysts under harsh reaction conditions to obtain α-arylalkanoic acids. In our previous work, we have explored metal-free, direct, and selective deoxygenation of α-hydroxy ketones to obtain valuable scaffolds of 1,2,2-triarylethanones. Similarly, we hypothesize that α-hydroxy-α-aryl carboxylic acids can act as suitable precursors for the synthesis of α-arylalkanoic acids. Selective deoxygenation –OH group in α-hydroxy-α-aryl carboxylic acids can give α-aryl carboxylic acids. This strategy has not been explored yet in the literature to access α-arylalkanoic acids. We feel that such a protocol will allow us to obtain α-arylalkanoic acids through an environmentally benign, transition metal-free, and cost-effective approach. Therefore, this project aims toward the deoxygenation of α-hydroxy acids to obtain the pharmaceutically important scaffolds bearing α-arylalkanoic acid moiety. Enantioselective version of this selective deoxygenation of α-hydroxy carbonyl compounds will also be explored to synthesize pharmaceutically important scaffolds of α-aryl carbonyl compounds.