Her current research at CC is related to the formation and application of benzynes and other highly strained and reactive aromatic alkynes. Once formed, these intermediates can participate in a variety of reactions to access different carbon frameworks, which can then be used to synthesize biologically or medically relevant small molecules. Specific research directions include: 1) exploring the reactivity of benzynes with different nucleophiles, 2) developing methods to synthesize and use aromatic alkynes in systems of different ring sizes (5, 6, and 7-membered rings), 3) exploring new methods for generating benzyne intermediates, and 4) using computer modeling methods and programs to analyze the intermediates and their reactivity.
