Altered Cross-Coupling Reactions: Strategies for Repurposing Synthetic Intermediate
Lecture Date: Thurs., June 11, 2026, 9:15 am (China Standard Time) / Wed., June 10, 2026, 9:15 pm (ET)
About our Virtual Chemistry Lecture on Altered Cross-Coupling Reactions and Strategies for Repurposing Synthetic Intermediates
Prof. Richard Liu will present his research group’s work on the invention and understanding of catalytic strategies that repurpose conventional reactive partners to generate new products. His talk will cover methods that incorporate formal nitrene, oxygen‑atom, and carbene insertion into Suzuki–Miyaura cross‑coupling cycles. He will describe a reversible arylpalladium(II) isomerization process that proceeds through the mild formation of metal‑aryne intermediates, highlighting how this “ring‑walking” step can be incorporated into dynamic kinetic resolution schemes to effectively modify the regioselectivity of cross‑coupling. Prof. Liu will also discuss Ni‑catalyzed sulfur excision reactions that provide unintuitive but enabling retrosynthetic disconnections for the synthesis of fused heterocycles. Together, these examples illustrate how conceptually simple catalytic reactions can empower an accelerated exploration of chemical space without the need to acquire or synthesize new building blocks.
Capabilities
About our Speaker
Professor Liu
Prof. Liu was raised in Toronto, Canada. He earned his A.B. from Harvard College, where he conducted research alongside Prof. Eric Jacobsen. During his graduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he worked with Prof. Steve Buchwald on the development of copper-hydride catalysts for olefin hydrofunctionalization processes. After earning his Ph.D. in 2019, he joined the laboratory of Prof. Timothy M. Swager at MIT and the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN) as a postdoctoral associate, during which he demonstrated new applications of photochemistry performed on and by organic polymers. Prof. Liu returned to Harvard University to join the faculty in July 2022. His independent research focuses on catalysis for organic synthesis and sustainability. Some recent awards include the Amgen Young Investigator Award, Bayer Early Excellence in Science Award, and the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award.
About the Virtual Chemistry Lecture Series
Pharmaron’s monthly Virtual Lecture Series provides our team and partners with online educational opportunities. World-class academic researchers are invited to present novel research related to synthetic and medicinal chemistry through this virtual forum.