Fall 2026 Graduate Student Seminar Series – Nelson Bonilla

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry presents:

Nelson Bonilla

Ph.D. Candidate – Nascimento

Literature Seminar

Pedal to the Metal: Total Synthesis of (+)-Mangicol D and (±)-Stemocurtisine via Palladium-Catalyzed Reactions

Wednesday, October 7th in Sullivan Science Bldg Rm. 201, starting at 1:00 PM

Abstract:

Natural products are organic compounds commonly isolated from a diverse range of biological sources, including plants, fungi, and marine microorganisms. Many natural products exhibit biologically relevant properties, including antibacterial, insecticidal, and anticancer activities. Among these compounds, (+)-mangicol-D and (±)-stemocurtisine have demonstrated potential as anticancer and insecticidal agents, respectively. However, the stereochemical complexity, high molecular weights, and intricate ring systems of these molecules present significant challenges for their chemical synthesis. Recent synthetic approaches have leveraged transition-metal-catalyzed and transition-metal-mediated reactions to efficiently construct their complex ring systems while establishing the requisite stereochemical features. Herein, recent total syntheses of (+)-mangicol-D and (±)-stemocurtisine will be examined, with particular emphasis on the key domino carbopalladation–carbonylation and palladium-catalyzed carbonylative lactonization reactions employed in their respective syntheses.