Welcome to the Danheiser Lab website
Research in our laboratory focuses on the development of new synthetic methods and strategies, and their application in the total synthesis of natural products and biologically important compounds. A major thrust of our current research is the design and invention of new cycloaddition and annulation strategies for the synthesis of carbocyclic and heterocyclic compounds. Many of the methods under study involve the application of unusual molecules and highly reactive species as building blocks for the construction of important classes of organic compounds. We are particularly interested in the chemistry of highly unsaturated conjugated molecules, such as vinylketenes, iminoacetonitriles, conjugated enynes, and vinylallenes, and unusually strained molecules such as arynes, cycloalkynes, and cyclic allenes.
Rick L. Danheiser
A.C. Cope Professor
Department of Chemistry
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MIT Room 18-298
Tel: (617) 253-1842
danheisr@mit.edu
News and Highlights
August 2024: Our one-pot procedure for the synthesis of alkynes from esters via a tandem reduction-Ohira-Bestmann reaction has been published in Organic Syntheses website. Link.
February 2024: Welcome to new member of the lab, UROP student Dana Alaithan.
October 2023: Our paper on the stereoselective synthesis of (E)-vinylstannanes is published in Organic Syntheses. Link.
March 2023: Our practical and reliable procedure for the synthesis of the Ohira-Bestmann reagent has been published in Organic Syntheses website Link.
January 2023: Our paper on the synthesis of highly substituted pyridines by Diels-Alder cycloadditions of vinylallenes and tosyl cyanide is published in Organic Syntheses. Link.
September 2022: Our review of detrifluoroacetylative diazo transfer is published in Organic Syntheses. Link.
September 2022: Welcome to new member of the lab, UROP student David Benko
August 2021: The RLD Group welcomes new grad student member Ben Senzer to the lab.
May 2021: At the annual MIT Awards Convocation, President Reif presented Professor Danheiser with the Gordon Y. Billard Award for “service of outstanding merit performed for the Institute“ and for his “important, lasting, and wide-ranging contributions to the MIT community.”
February 2021: Welcome to new member of the lab, UROP student Cholapat (Turbo) Varongchayakul.
June 2020: Welcome to new member of the lab, UROP student RuiYang (Michelle) Guo.
January 2020: Our paper on the synthesis of highly substituted pyridines via [4+2] cycloadditions of vinylallenes and sulfonyl cyanides is published. Link.