Technology Description
This technology licensing opportunity is for novel phenol and benzene compounds with any number of substituents and complete positional selectivity. Synthesis of the compounds is achieved by a new synthetic method. The method provides a one-step conversion of readily available starting materials to give phenols with complete regioselective control and in high chemical yield. The programmable nature of the reaction allows construction of non-canonical substitution patterns. Finally, conversion of the phenols to the corresponding benzenes allows synthesis of highly substituted benzenes with full control of substituent location. We are seeking licensees in the fields of pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and synthetic materials to develop and bring to market new products built on this technology.
Features & Benefits
Phenols are indispensable molecules. Substituted phenols represent essential pharmaceuticals, such as the analgesic morphine, the leukemia drug ecteinascidin, the hormonal birth control estrogen, and the general anesthetic propofol. Substituted phenols are also common agrochemicals (e.g., the citrus fungicide 2-phenylphenol and the food additive butylated hydroxytoluene), many are important substructures of biological polymers (e.g., lignin, tyrosine) and are used in human-made polymers such as the ubiquitous phenolic resin plastics. The properties of phenolic molecules are substantially influenced by the substitution on the phenolic ring. For these reasons, the synthesis of phenols with control of substituent regiochemistry is of paramount interest to organic, medicinal, and polymer chemists.
U.S. patent pending; available for exclusive or non-exclusive licensing