The Sharma Laboratory engages in the synthesis, assessment, and modification of potential therapeutic leads derived from or inspired by natural products for the treatment of cancer, bacterial infections, and neurological disorders. This work uses two complimentary approaches, isolation/semi-synthesis and method development/total synthesis to access a library of diverse analogues.

Sustainable catalysis with earth-abundant metals or blue light has been a prominent alternative to conventional. Platinum-group metal catalysts are due to the rising concerns for carbon dioxide production during metal mining processes. Moreover, the usage of rare metals in organic synthesis directly affects the cost of production on an industrial scale. The Sharma lab has been vigorously exploiting earth-abundant and relatively cheaper metals like iron, zinc, and copper to mediate crucial organic transformations to produce chemical feedstocks and potential pharmacophores at affordable prices. The strategies developed in our research groups provide a complementary approach to efficiently accessing simple and complex scaffolds with minimum waste generation.
Recent Publications:
Org. Chem. Front., 2023, 10, 5933 - 5939. DOI: 10.1039/d3qo01354e
Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2022 DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.202101419
ACS Catal. 2024, 14, 1292–1299 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.3c05040