Publications
Sarpong Group (Berkeley)

  1. Gallego, G. M.; Sarpong, R. "Rh(I)-Catalyzed Enantioselective Intramolecular Hydroarylation of Unactivated Ketones with Aryl Pinacolboronic Esters" Chem. Sci. 2012, In Press.

  2. Schultz, E. E.; Pujanauski, B. G.; Sarpong, R. "Synthetic Studies toward Lapidilectine-Type Kopsia Alkaloids" Org. Lett. 2012, ASAP Article.

  3. Murphy R. A.; Sarpong, R. "Direct Methoxypyridine Functionalization Approach to Magellanine-Type Lycopodium Alkaloids" Org. Lett. 2012, ASAP Article.

  4. Narayan, A. R. H.; Sarpong, R. "Indolizinones as synthetic scaffolds: fundamental reactivity and the relay of stereochemical information" Org. Biomol. Chem. 2012, Advance Article.

  5. Heller, S. T.; Sarpong, R. "On The Reactivity Of Imidazole Carbamates And Ureas And Their Use As Esterification And Amidation Reagents" Tetrahedron 2011, 67, 8851-8859.

  6. Miller, L. C.; Sarpong, R. "Divergent reactions on racemic mixtures" Chem. Soc. Rev. 2011, 40, 4550-4562.

  7. Ford, K. A.; Casida, J. E.; Chandran, D.; Gulevich, A. G.; Okrent, R. A.; Durkin, K. A.; Sarpong, R.; Bunnelle, E. M. and Wildermuth, M. C. "Neonicotinoid insecticides induce salicylate- associated plant defense responses" PNAS 2010, 107 (41), 17527-17532.

  8. Heller, S. T.; Sarpong, R. "Chemoselective Esterification and Amidation of Carboxylic Acids with Imidazole Carbamates and Ureas" Org. Lett. 2010, 12 (20), 4572-4575.

  9. Marcus, A. P.; Sarpong, R. "Synthesis of the Tetracyclic Core of Tetrapetalone A Enabled by a Pyrrole Reductive Alkyation" Org. Lett. 2010, 12 (20), 4560-4563.

  10. Gruver, J. M.; West, S. P.; Collum, D. B; Sarpong, R. "Experimental Characterization and Computational Study of Unique C,N-Chelated Lithium Dianions" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132 (38), 13212-13213.

  11. Lian, Y.; Miller, L. C,; Born, S.; Sarpong, R.; Davies, H. M. L. "Catalyst-Controlled Formal [4 + 3] Cycloaddition Applied to the TotalSynthesis of (+)-Barekoxide and (-)-Barekol" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132 (35) 12422-12425.

  12. Hardin-Narayan, A. R.; Sarpong, R. "Remarkable Facilitation of Hetero-Cycloisomerizations with Water and other Polar Protic Solvents: Metal-Free Synthesis of Indolizines" Green Chem. 2010, 10, 1556-1559.

  13. Hardin-Narayan, A. R.; Simmons, E. M.; Sarpong, R. "Synthetic Strategies Directed Towards the Cortistatin Family of Natural Products" Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2010, 19 3553-3567.

  14. Bisai, V.; Sarpong, R. "Methoxypyridines in the Synthesis of Lycopodium Alkaloids: Total Synthesis of (±)-Lycoposerramine R" Org. Lett. 2010, 12 (11), 2551-2553.

  15. Fischer, D. F.; Sarpong, R. "Total Synthesis of (+)-Complanadine A Using an Iridium-Catalyzed Pyridine C-H Functionalization" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132(17) 5926-5927.

  16. Cortez, F. de J.; Sarpong, R. "Ga(III)-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization Approach to (±)-Icetexone and (±)-Epi-icetexone" Org. Lett.. 2010, 12(7) 1428-1431.

  17. Casida, J. E.; Gulevich, A. G.; Sarpong, R.; Bunnelle, E. M. "S-Arachidonoyl-2-thioglycerol synthesis and use for fluorimetric and colorimetric assays of monoacylglycerol lipase" Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry. 2010, 18, 1942-1947 .

  18. Simmons, E. M.; Hardin-Narayan, A. R.; Guo, X.; Sarpong R. "Formal total synthesis of (±)-Cortistatin A" Tetrahedron. 2010, 66(26), 4696-4700.

  19. Jeffrey, J. L.; Sarpong, R. "Concise Synthesis of Pauciflorol F Using a Larock Annulation" Org. Lett. 2009, 11, 5450-5453.

  20. Larson, K. K.; Sarpong, R. "Total Synthesis of Alkaloid (±)-G. B. 13 Using a Rh(I)-Catalyzed Ketone Hydroarylation and Late-Stage Pyridine Reduction" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009 131, 13244-13245.

  21. West, S. P.; Bisai, A.; Lim, A. D.; Narayan, R. R.; Sarpong, R. "Total Synthesis of (+)-Lyconadin A and Related Compounds Via Oxidative C-N Bond Formation" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009 131, 11187-11194 .

  22. Wood, J. L.; Pujanauski, B. G.; Sarpong, R. "Synthesis of the Tetracyclic Core of the Neomangicols Using a Late-Stage Indene Alkylation" Org. Lett. 2009,11, 3128-3131.

  23. Simmons, E. M.; Sarpong, R. "Structure, biosynthetic relationships and chemical synthesis of the icetexane diterpenoids" Nat. Prod. Rep. 2009, 26, 1195-1217.

  24. Jeffrey, J. L.; Sarpong, R. "An approach to the synthesis of dimeric resveratrol natural products via a palladium-catalyzed domino reaction." Tetrahedron Lett. 2009, 50, 1969 - 1972.

  25. Miller, L. C.; Ndungu, J. M.; Sarpong, R. "Parallel Kinetic Resolution Approach to the Cyathane and Cyanthiwigin Diterpenes Using a Cyclopropanation/Cope Rearrangement" Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2009, 48, 2398-2402.

  26. Simmons, E. M.; Hardin A. R.; Guo, X.; Sarpong, R. "Rapid Construction of the Cortistatin Pentacyclic Core" Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 6650-6653.


  27. Marcus, A. P.; Lee, A. S.; Davis, R. L.; Tantillo, D. J.; Sarpong, R. "Pronounced Steric Effects of Substituents in the Nazarov Cyclization of Aryl Dienyl Ketones" Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 6379-6383.


  28. Ly, T.; Liu, Z.; Pujanauski, B. G.; Sarpong, R.; Julian, R. R. "Surveying Ubiquitin Structure by Noncovalent Attachment of Distance Constrained Bis(crown) Ethers" Anal. Chem. 2008, 80, 5059-5064.

  29. Bisai, A.; West, S. P.; Sarpong, R. "Unified Strategy for the Synthesis of the 'Miscellaneous' Lycopodium Alkaloids: Total Synthesis of (±)-Lyconadin A" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 7222-7223.

  30. Bunnelle, E. M.; Smith, C. R.; Lee, S. K.; Singaram, W. S.; Rhodes, A. J.; Sarpong, R. "Pt-catalyzed cyclization/migration of propargylic alcohols for the synthesis of 3(2H)-furanones, pyrrolones, indolizines, and indolizinones" Tetrahedron 2008, 64 (29), 7008-7014.

  31. Hardin, A. R.; Sarpong, R. "Electronic Effects in the Pt-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of Propargylic Esters: Synthesis of 2,3-Disubstituted Indolizines as a Mechanistic Probe" Org. Lett. 2007, 9 (22), 4547-4550.

  32. Simmons, E. M.; Yen, J. R.; Sarpong, R. "Reconciling Icetexane Biosynthetic Connections with Their Chemical Synthesis: Total Synthesis of (±)-5,6-Dihydro-6r-hydroxysalviasperanol, (±)-Brussonol, and (±)-Abrotanone" Org. Lett. 2007, 9 (14), 2705-2708.

  33. Motamed, M.; Bunnelle, E. M.; Singaram, S. W.; Sarpong, R. "Pt(II)-Catalyzed Synthesis of 1,2-Dihydropyridines from Aziridinyl Propargylic Esters" Org. Lett. 2007, 9 (11), 2167-2170.

  34. Smith, C. R.; Bunnelle, E. M.; Rhodes, A. J.; Sarpong, R. "Pt-Catalyzed Cyclization/1,2-Migration for the Synthesis of Indolizines, Pyrrolones, and Indolizinones " Org. Lett. 2007, 9 (6), 1169 - 1171.

  35. Yao, T.; Hong, A.; Sarpong, R. "Synthesis of Multifunctionalized Furans from Diazoallenes: Rearrangement of 6-Methylenebicyclo[3.1.0]hexanes " Synthesis 2006, 21, 3605–3610.

  36. Simmons, E. M.; Sarpong, R. "Ga(III)-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization Strategy for the Synthesis of Icetexane Diterpenoids: Total Synthesis of (±)-Salviasperanol" Org. Lett. 2006, 8, 2883 - 2886.

  37. Pujanauski, B. G.; Prasad, B. A. B.; Sarpong, R. "Pt-Catalyzed Tandem Epoxide Fragmentation/Pentannulation of Propargylic Esters" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128(21), 6786 - 6787.

  38. Ro, D.; Paradise, E. M.; Ouellet, M.; Fisher, K. J.; Newman, K. L.; Ndungu, J. M.; Ho, K. A.; Eachus, R. A.; Ham, T. S.; Kirby, J.; Chang, M. C. Y.; Withers, S. T.; Shiba, Y.; Sarpong, R.; Keasling, J. D. "Production of the Antimalarial Drug Precursor Artemisinic Acid in Engineered Yeast" Nature 2006, 440, 940-943.

  39. Ndungu, J. M.; Larson, K. K.; Sarpong, R. "Development of an Anomalous Heck Reaction: Skeletal Rearrangement of Divinyl and Enyne Carbinols" Org. Lett. 2005, 7 (26), 5845-5848.

  40. Prasad, B. A. B.; Yoshimoto, F. K.; Sarpong, R. "Pt-Catalyzed Pentannulations from In Situ Generated Metallo-Carbenoids Utilizing Propargyl Esters" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127(36), 12468 - 12469.

Postdoctoral

  1. Su, J.T.; Sarpong, R.; Stoltz, B.M.; Goddard III, W.A. "Substituent Effects and Nearly Degenerate Transition States: Rational Design of Substrates for the Tandem Wolff/Cope Reaction" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126(1), 24-25.

  2. Sarpong, R.; Su, J. T.; Stoltz, B. M. "The Development of a Facile Tandem Wolff/Cope Rearrangement for the Synthesis of Fused Carbocyclic Skeletons" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125(45), 13624 - 13625.

  3. Garg, N. K.; Sarpong, R.; Stoltz, B. M. "The first total synthesis of dragmacidin D" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124(44), 13179 - 13184.

Doctoral

  1. Semmelhack, M.F.; Sarpong,R. "Kinetic Analysis of a Reactive Model Enediyne" J. Phys. Org. Chem. 2004, 17(9),807-813.

  2. Semmelhack, M. F.; Jaskowski, M. E.; Sarpong, R.; Ho, D. M. "A simple synthesis and evaluation of the bicyclo[8.3.0] enediyne framework" Tetrahedron Lett. 2002, 43(28), 4947 - 4950.

  3. Semmelhack, M. F.; Sarpong, R.; Bergman, J.; Ho, D. M. "Evaluation of alkene isomerization as a trigger for enediyne activation" Tetrahedron Lett. 2002, 43(4), 541 - 544.