Vy Maria Dong

Academic Title: Assistant Professor

Phone: 416-978-6484

Office: DB 343

Email:

Research Homepage: http://www.chem.utoronto.ca/staff/vdong

Our research focuses on solving important challenges in synthetic organic chemistry through the design of broadly useful reagents and catalysts. We are currently pursuing innovative ways to functionalize carbon-hydrogen bonds, exploit carbon dioxide as a raw material, and construct nitrogen-heterocycles. While these challenges are diverse, our approach maintains an underlying theme: the development of new transition metal-catalysts to efficiently transform readily available reagents into valuable products. In turn, we plan to 1) elucidate the mechanism of these novel organometallic transformations and 2) apply our methods to rapidly synthesize molecules important for drug discovery, natural products chemistry, and materials science. Students in the Dong Research Group will be trained for future careers in academia and the pharmaceutical/fine chemical industry. Our research lab will be getting established at the University of Toronto starting this summer – July 2006. If you are interested in learning more about the research projects available or becoming a pioneering member of our research team, please contact me for more information!

"Palladium-Catalyzed Olefin Dioxygenation.” Li, Y.; Song, D.; Dong, V. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 2962.

"Rh-Catalyzed Carbonyl Hydroacylation: An Enantioselective Approach to Lactones.” Shen, Z; Khan, H. A.; Dong, V. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 2916. See the highlight in Chemistry World featuring this work: James Mitchell Crow, "Rhodium fast tracks route to lactones." Editorial Board of SYNFACTS selects this article as the Synfact of the month.

“Molecular Recognition and Stabilization of Iminium Ions in Water.” Dong, V. M.; Fiedler, D.; Carl, B.; Bergman, R. G.; Raymond, K. N. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 14464. See the highlight in Nature featuring this work: Julius Rebek, "Molecules in Quarantine."

“Design of a new cascade reaction for the construction of complex acyclic architecture: The tandem acyl-Claisen rearrangement.” Dong, V. M.; MacMillan, D. W. C. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 2448.

“Development of a new Lewis acid-catalyzed Claisen rearrangement.” Yoon, T. P.; Dong, V. M.; MacMillan, D. W. C. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 9726.