Tony Holý Lecture – Phil S. Baran: Simplifying synthesis with radical cross-coupling

🗣️ Join us for an enlightening session featuring Prof. Phil S. Baran from Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA! He will present an invited lecture titled "Simplifying Synthesis with Radical Cross-Coupling".

In this talk, we’ll explore the intuitive concept of polar disconnections, a cornerstone of retrosynthetic logic. During undergraduate studies, students often learn to form organic molecules by combining positively and negatively charged synthons—after all, opposites attract! The most widely used two-electron C–C bond reactions today are based on traditional cross-coupling methods (like Suzuki, Negishi, and Heck) or polar additions such as aldol, Michael, and Grignard reactions.

These methods have fundamentally transformed molecular construction owing to their reliability and predictability.

Conversely, radical chemistry is seldom tackled beyond basic principles, such as radical halogenation, and there is a lingering perception that radicals are uncontrollable. Consequently, many synthetic chemists are hesitant to use radical-based disconnections during initial retrosynthetic analyses. Prof. Baran will shed light on recent studies from his lab, showcasing the strategic benefits of incorporating unconventional radical disconnections into synthetic design.

📍 Location: Flemingovo náměstí 542/2, 160 00 Praha, Česko

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