New Metal-Catalyzed Methods for Enabling Step Efficient Syntheses of Biologically Relevant Molecules

The following dissertation will provide different metal-catalyzed methods to advance drug discovery in both academia and pharmaceutical industry. First, a practical and stereoselective iron-catalyzed synthesis of tri- and tetrasubstituted acrylates using stereodefined enol carbamates and Grignard reagents is developed. In addition, a Lewis acid catalyzed conversion of N-acyl oxazolidinones to the corresponding enantioenriched esters, amides, and carboxylic acids is reported as its use in the synthesis of pharmaceutical intermediate on a 100 g scale. Finally, the development an early central nervous system (CNS) drug discovery program by the identification and the structure activity relationship analysis of 3,4,5-trisubstituted isoxazoles molecules as potential negative allosteric modulators for metabotropic glutamate receptors group II (mGluR2) is discussed.