Pengjin Qin

Completed the total syntheses of triple-modified tetrachlorovancomycin analogs: A new family of ultra-potent glycopeptide antibiotics with reduced synthetic complexity.

1. Completed the scalable divergent total synthesis of Maxamycins that exhibit excellent potency again MRSA/VRSA bacterial strains via three independent mechanisms of action. 2. Scaled a new streamlined synthesis of UDP-vancosamine glycosyl donor that improves both access and storage stability, and introduced protocols that permit a single-pot, gram-scale enzymatic glycosylation of vancomycin aglycon and analogues

1. Designed and conducted multi-step syntheses of various conjugated tri-π molecules with different regio- and stereochemistry, including acyclic enediynes, dienynes, and trienes. 2. Discovered a ruthenium catalyst that represents the first example of metal-catalyzed disrotatory 6-π electrocyclization of trienes. 3. Designed air-stable ruthenium-naphthalene catalysts that allow for spatiotemporal control of cycloaromatization of enediynes and dienynes. 4. Discovered cobalt-mediated coupling of acetylenes and carbenes to generate multi-functionalized cyclopentadienes, 1,3-dienes, and metallocenes with high regioselectivity.