Faculty

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY, SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY.

Professor

Chen, David Yu-Kai

Complexity-Inspired Organic Synthesis Laboratory
LAB Website
OFFICE 503-624 / +82-2-880-4384
LAB 503-603,632 / +82-2-880-4377
RESEARCH AREAS

Research Topic

Total synthesis, a research field that renders the preparation of larger molecular constructs from their structurally simplified progenitor(s) through a series of carefully coordinated synthetic operations, has admirably served the scientific community through its contributions in both fundamental chemical research and in a wide-spectrum of physical and biological applications. Our research activity rests its foundation on complexity-inspired total synthesis, with strong emphasis on the design and orchestration of innovative synthetic strategies by employing modern synthetic technologies based on transition-metal and organo-catalysis. Convergent and yet flexible approach are pursued in order to maximize overall synthetic efficiency, and enable the preparation of rationally designed analogues for chemical-biology investigations. Novel reactivities bestowed by complex molecular architectures are explored in a methodological manner and further applied in the context of target-oriented synthesis.

Education

  • Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Cambridge, 2001
  • B.Sc. (1st class Hon) Chemistry, University of Auckland, 1998

Career

  • Principal Investigator, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, 2005-2011
  • Senior Research Chemist, Merck Research Laboratory, Rahway, USA, 2003-2005
  • Research Associate, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, USA, 2002-2003
  • Research Assistant, Auckland Cancer Society Research Center, New Zealand, 1998

Papers

  1. Late-Stage and Strain-Acclerated Oxidation Enabled Synthesis of Haouamine A. Park K. H., Rizzo A. and Chen D. Y. -K.* Chem. Sci., 2020, 11, 8132-8137.
  2. A Local-Desymmetrization-Based Divergent Synthesis of Quinine and Quinidine. Lee J. and Chen D. Y. -K.* Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 488-493.
  3. A Desymmetrization-Based Total Synthesis of Reserpine. Park J. and Chen D. Y. -K.* Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 16152-16156.
  4. A Personal Perspective on Organic Synthesis: Past, Present, and Future. Chen D. Y. -K.* Isr. J. Chem. 2018, 58, 85-93.
  5. Asymmetric Total Syntheses of Communesin F and a Putative Member of the Communesin Family. Park J., Jean A. and Chen D. Y. -K.* Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 14237-14240.
  6. Programmed Serial Stereochemical Relay and its Application in the Synthesis of Morphinans. Park K. H., Chen R. and Chen D. Y. -K.* Chem. Sci. 2017, 8, 7031-7037.

Search Papers

K. C. Nicolaou, Stephen M. Dalby, Shuoliang Li, Takahiro Suzuki, David Yu-Kai Chen, K. C. Nicolaou
Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, 2009, 48, 41, (2009-09-28) Link
K. C. Nicolaou, Xiao-Shui Peng, Ya-Ping Sun, Damien Polet, Bin Zou, Chek Shik Lim, David Yu-Kai Chen, K. C. Nicolaou
Journal of The American Chemical Society, 2009, 131, 30, (2009-08-05) Link
K. C. Nicolaou, T. Robert Wu, Qiang Kang, David Yu-Kai Chen, K. C. Nicolaou
Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, 2009, 48, 19, (2009-04-27) Link
K. C. Nicolaou, Arkady Krasovskiy, Utpal Majumder, Vincent E. Trepanier, David Yu-Kai Chen, K. C. Nicolaou
Journal of The American Chemical Society, 2009, 131, 10, (2009-03-18) Link
K. C. Nicolaou, Ya-Ping Sun, Xiao-Shui Peng, Damien Polet, David Yu-Kai Chen, K. C. Nicolaou
Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, 2008, 47, 38, (2008-09-08) Link
K. C. Nicolaou, Qiao-Yan Toh, David Yu-Kai Chen, K. C. Nicolaou
Journal of The American Chemical Society, 2008, 130, 34, (2008-08-27) Link
K.C. Nicolaou, Gulice Y. C. Leung, Dattatraya H. Dethe, Ramakrishna Guduru, Ya-Ping Sun, Chek Shik Lim, David Yu-Kai Chen, K.C. Nicolaou
Journal of The American Chemical Society, 2008, 130, 30, (2008-07-30) Link
K. C. Nicolaou, Dattatraya H. Dethe, David Yu-Kai Chen, K. C. Nicolaou
Chemical Communications, 2008, 2008, 23, (2008-06-21) Link
K. C. Nicolaou, Arkady Krasovskiy, Vincent E Trepanier, David Yu-Kai Chen, K. C. Nicolaou
Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, 2008, 47, 22, (2008-05-19) Link
K. C. Nicolaou, Ya-Ping Sun, Ramakrishna Guduru, Biswadip Banerji, David Yu-Kai Chen, K. C. Nicolaou
Journal of The American Chemical Society, 2008, 130, 11, (2008-03-19) Link