Mechanisms and Dynamics of Pericyclic Reactions - Homage to Andy Streitwieser

This lecture will pay homage to Berkeley Professor Andrew Streitwieser by describing how modern computational methods, that he pioneered, now enable the understanding of organic reaction mechanisms in a time-resolved fashion. The study of timing of bond formation in pericyclic reactions will be described using quantum mechanics and molecular dynamics. A dynamical criterion of mechanism - concerted versus stepwise - is applied to sigmatropic shifts and cycloadditions, and the concepts of ambimodal transition states and entropic intermediates are described. A class of enzymes that catalyze pericyclic reactions - the “pericyclases” - is discussed and studied with molecular dynamics.

Speaker: Ken Houk, UC Los Angeles