Abstract:

Pyrazoles and cyclic tripeptides represent two classes of biologically relevant compounds with distinct synthetic challenges. For pyrazoles, the differentiation of two chemically similar nitrogen atoms can be complicated. Cyclic tripeptides, by contrast, are intrinsically strained, making them a largely underexplored yet promising synthetic target. In this defense, I will describe my efforts to address these challenges by leveraging transition-metal catalysis and ring strain.