Robert J. Hinkle

Areas of Specialization

Catalytic polyyne synthesis, reactive intermediates, cascade reactions, and analysis and the chemistry of iodonium salts.

Research Opportunities for Students:

We are interested in creating making a series of polyynes and analyzing the structure-activity relationship between the polyynes and their antibiotic activities. We also are trying to create new reactions by studying reactive intermediates and leveraging their reactivity for the synthesis of novel, polycyclic structures. In particular, we creating novel molecules using oxocarbenium ion and iodonium ion intermediates in cascade, or domino reaction sequences. These complex processes involve a number of discreet organic transformations in which the individual reactions must take place in a specific order for the overall reaction to afford products in reasonable yields. In essence, one reaction (domino) must fall (react) before the next reaction can proceed, and so-on.