Discipline: Chemistry and Chemical Sciences
Subcategory: Chemistry (not Biochemistry)
Shaikara Bryant - Tougaloo College
Co-Author(s): George Armstrong, Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, MS
Molecules with benzylic carbon stereocenters are widely observed natural products which are used as building blocks for many medicinal compounds. The objective of this research is to use microwave assisted ortho-alkylation of anilines with unsaturated compounds such as styrene, andalcohols to get compounds with a benzylic carbon stereocenter. A further objective of this project was to test possible drug efficacy of the compounds on reduction of e. coli growth. Ortho-Alkylation of substituted 2, 4-dimethylaniline was carried out in a matter of minutes undersolvent-free conditions in a conventional household microwave oven. Styrene, 4-chlorostyrene and 4-tert-butoxystyrene were used as alkylating agents with triflic acid (CF3SO3H) as catalyst. Products were easily recovered in good yields and characterized using proton NMR. Initial studyof drug efficacy on e. coli showed a promising efficacy effect.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): This study was supported, in part, by a grant from LSAMP ( Louis Stokes Mississippi Alliance for Minority Participation) awarded to George Armstrong , Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, MS.
Faculty Advisor: George Armstrong, garmstrong@tougaloo.edu
Role: I conducted all parts of the research which consisted of the following parts: Synthesized multiple compounds using microwave synthesis, purified products using silica gel column chromatography, and ran nmr test on the products.