Our research program is centered on the discovery of new catalytic transformations and on applying them to the studies of macromolecular and biological phenomena. Current projects involve new reaction development, studies of the organic and organometallic mechanism, medicinal chemistry, dendrimers and dendritic probes for cellular and organismal imaging and targeted drug delivery, and novel polymeric materials.

Our research has led to the development of several practical catalytic processes. Among those are the copper and ruthenium-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reactions (CuAAC, often called “click reaction” and its sister, RuAAC), which reliably produce different isomers of 1,2,3-triazoles, the cycloaddition reactions of nitrile oxides with alkynes leading to isoxazoles, and catalytic transformations of 1,2,3-triazoles which proceed via the intermediacy of transition metal azavinyl carbene species. The group currently involved in using these processes in organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and materials science.