About

Shabnam Akhtari is a professor at the Pennsylvania State University, based in the 339 McAllister Building. Her research interests include Number Theory, Geometry of Numbers, and Diophantine Analysis. Her work focuses on these areas within mathematics, contributing to the understanding of their underlying structures and properties.

Research topics

• Combinatorial chemistry
• Organic chemistry
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Biochemistry
• Stereochemistry
• Programming language

Selected publications

• A free-radical design featuring an intramolecular migration for a synthetically versatile alkyl–(hetero)arylation of simple olefins

  Chemical Science · 2024 · 27 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Computer Science
  • Combinatorial chemistry
  • Chemistry

  , without requiring directing or electronically activating groups) for the first time. Key advances also included the introduction of synthetically diversifiable alkyl groups featuring different degrees of substitution, good diastereocontrol in both cyclic and acyclic settings, the addition of biologically valuable heteroarenes featuring Lewis basic nitrogen atoms as well as simple benzenes, and the generation of either tertiary or quaternary benzylic centers. The synthetic potential of this transformation was demonstrated by leveraging it as the key step in a concise synthesis of oliceridine, a new painkiller that received FDA approval in 2020.

  DOI

• An Electrochemical Design for Catalytic Dehydration: Direct, Room-Temperature Esterification without Acid or Base Additives

  Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2023 · 40 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Chemistry
  • Organic chemistry
  • Combinatorial chemistry

  An electrochemical approach has been leveraged to underpin a new conceptual platform for dehydration reactions, which has been demonstrated in the context of esterification. Esters were prepared from the corresponding acid and alcohol partners at room temperature without acid or base additives and without consuming stoichiometric reagents. This methodology therefore addresses key complications that plague esterification and dehydration reactions more broadly and that represent a leading challenge in synthetic chemistry.

  DOI

• Complexity-Generating Transformations Enabled by Intramolecular Radical Migration: Alkyl–Arylation of Simple Olefins

  2023 · 2 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Combinatorial chemistry
  • Chemistry
  • Stereochemistry

  A free-radical cascade approach has enabled the develop-ment of a synthetically versatile alkyl–arylation of olefins. This transformation engages an excellent range of olefins, from mono- to tetrasubstituted, without requiring directing or electronically activating groups. Further synthetic advantages, such as the facile generation of quaternary cen-ters and the introduction of heteroaryl groups with Lewis basic nitrogen atoms, also complement transition-metal-catalyzed alkyl–arylation. Vicinal stereoarrays were gener-ated with high levels of diastereoselectivity. The synthetic potential of this transformation was demonstrated by serving as the key step in a concise synthesis of oliceridine, a new painkiller that received FDA approval in 2020.

  DOI

Recent grants

• Alcohols as Latent Alkylating Agents Using Photoredox Organocatalysis

  NIH · $116k · 2017–2019

Frequent coauthors

• Tristan H. Lambert

  Cornell University

  13 shared

• Jaxon L. Barney

  Pennsylvania State University

  3 shared

• Dylan J. Babcock

  Pennsylvania State University

  3 shared

• Ayush Sharma

  Pennsylvania State University

  3 shared

• Andrew J. Wolfram

  Pennsylvania State University

  3 shared

• Santino M. Servagno

  Pennsylvania State University

  3 shared

• Shannon P. Wetzler

  University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

  2 shared

• Jonathan P. Litz

  University of Washington

  2 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Chemistry

  Columbia University

  2015

• B.Sc., Chemistry

  Harvey Mudd College

  2010

Awards & honors

• NIH Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (NIGMS R35 MIRA…
• NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award…
• ACS PRF New Doctoral Investigator (2022–2023)
• NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship (F32) (…
• Arun Guthikonda Memorial Graduate Fellowship, Columbia Unive…

Similar researchers at Pennsylvania State University

• Long-Qing Chenh-150
• Qin Wangh-123
• Richard Alleyh-120
• William H. Bruneh-99
• Ayusman Senh-96