Published on August 7, 2020 by Sean Flynt  
Dale Wilger, Sydney Bottcher and Lauren Hutchinson
Dale Wilger, Sydney Bottcher and Lauren Hutchinson

 

Samford University chemistry professor Dale Wilger and students Sydney Bottcher and Lauren Hutchinson co-authored an article published in the academic journal Synthesis. The research– resulting in the article Nickel-Catalyzed anti-Selective Alkyne Functionalization Reactions– was supported by a course release for Wilger funded by the Howard College Faculty Research and Scholarship Committee.

Wilger said Alkyne functionalization is used to synthesize alkenes, an important type of molecule present in medicines such as Tamoxifen and useful materials such as plastics. Historically, nearly all alkyne functionalization reactions have produced what is known as syn-selectivity, but in recent years catalysts containing nickel have demonstrated the ability to provide anti-selective alkyne functionalization reactions. “We reviewed these reactions and provided an analysis and discussion regarding the types of mechanisms that could explain these relatively unusual chemical transformations,” Wilger said. “We hope this knowledge will aid others in the discovery and invention of new anti-selective alkyne functionalization reactions.”

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.