Bakthan Singaram

Bakthan Singaram is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of California, Santa Cruz - where he has taught since 1989. Professor Singaram is an expert in the area of boron-based organic chemistry. Professor Singaram gained his Ph.D. from the University of Madras, Tamil Nadu, India. Professor Singaram has also worked in and directed the laboratory of Nobel Prize winning chemist Herbert Brown. Herbert Brown shared the The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1979 with Georg Wittig "for their development of the use of boron- and phosphorus-containing compounds, respectively, into important reagents in organic synthesis". [citenews|title=Boron chemistry creates better reagents|publisher=Laboratory Talk |date=June 20, 2005|url= http://www.laboratorytalk.com/news/sgm/sgm145.html]

Singaram Lab is actively involved in the development of asymmetric and stereoselective methods for the synthesis of organic molecules. A primary goal of the Singaram research group is the development of novel chiral catalysts from terpenes, amino acids, and other biological and organic compounds. These compounds are tested for their efficiency in asymmetric reduction and asymmetric carbon-carbon bond forming reactions. Extensive exploration of the synthetic uses of Lithium aminoborohydride (LAB) as a versatile and efficient reducing agent are explored in the Singaram Lab.

Professor Singaram is currently in the process of developing a new glucose sensor based on boronic acids, in hopes of engineering an implantable diagnostic tool for continuous glucose detection for persons afflicted with Diabetes Mellitus. [citenews|title=Optical glucose sensor holds promise for diabetics and intensive care|publisher=Medical News Today |date= March 17, 2004|url= http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/index.php?newsid=6593]

Professor Singaram's lab is also responsible for the development of the chiral lewis acid/asymmetric reducing agent, TarB-X or "Singaram's reagent" - a derivative of tartaric acid and organo-borane compounds. TarBX may used as an inexpensive and efficient way to reduce aromatic alkyl ketones to enantiomerically pure secondary alcohols in conjunction with the use of lithium borohydride.

References

External links

* [http://www.chemistry.ucsc.edu/~singaram/ UCSC Singaram Research Group Homepage]