Kenn E Harding
Professor
Coordinator of Organic Teaching Laboratories
Ph. D., Stanford University
Contact
Information:
Department of Chemistry
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843-3255
Phone:
(979) 845-5433
Fax: (979) 845-4719
harding@chem.tamu.edu
Our research programs have focused on a variety of areas relating to organic synthesis including investigation of the synthetic potential of novel organic reactions, elucidation of stereochemical details of synthetically useful reactions and development of methods for total synthesis of biologically active organic compounds. Particular attention is paid to the study and development of reactions resulting in control of stereochemistry.
Recent efforts have concentrated on the synthesis of products containing chiral centers attached to amine functional groups. Reactions studied have included intramolecular cyclofunctionalization reactions and stereoselective amidoalkylation reactions. Current projects involve the synthesis of butenolides with two stereogenic centers; these compounds can be used as key intermediates for the total synthesis of a variety of biologically important products including agents with high potential for chemotherapeutic use in the treatment of retroviral diseases such as AIDS.
Other areas of interest include organic laboratory instruction, application of technology to organic instruction, and use of molecular modeling in organic chemistry instruction.
"Melting Point Range and Phase Diagrams - Confusing Laboratory Textbook Descriptions," K. E. Harding. J. Chem. Educ. 75 (1998) In Press.
"Stereoselective Reactions of N-Acyl-N,O acetals with 2-(Trimethylsilyloxy)furan," K.E. Harding, M.T. Coleman and L.T. Liu. Tetrahedron Lett. 32 (1991) 3795.
"Electrophilic Heteroatom Cyclizations" K.E. Harding and T.H. Tiner. In Comprehensive Organic Synthesis. B. Trost, Ed., Pergamon Press: London (1991).
"Preparation of Acyclic N-Acyl-N,O-acetals by Decarboxylation of N-Protected Amino Acids and Studies of Asymmetric Amidoalkylation with Trimethyl Cyanide." K.E. Harding, L.T. Liu, D.G. Farrar, M.T. Coleman and S.K. Tansey. Synth. Commun. 1409 (1991).
"Stereoselective Synthesis of (+/-)-Trichodiene." K.E. Harding, K.S. Clement and C.Y. Tseng. J. Org. Chem. 55 (1990) 4403.
"Sequential Chirality Transfer in Intramolecular Amidomercuration Reactions." K.E. Harding, D.R. Hollingsworth and J. Reibenspies. Tetrahedron Lett. 30 (1989) 4775.