Event Summary

Event Date
Mon, 27th Oct, 2025 3:00 pm To
Mon, 27th Oct, 2025 4:30 pm
Speaker
Prof. Jayamurugan Govindasamy, Institute of Nano Science and Technology Mohali
Venue
Saraswati-A01
Event Category
Seminars
Organized by
Mintu Porel

October 2025

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25
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2025
CSR Conclave
22
Oct
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Institute Colloquium : The technical story of Chenab railway bridge
Prof. Madhavi Latha Gali, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore
8
Oct
2025
MoU signing ceremony under the PM VIKAS scheme
Shri George Kurian, Hon'ble Minister of State for Minority Affairs, and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying
29
Sep
2025
Art Therapy Session
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Shaping the [2+2] Cycloaddition–Retroelectrocyclization Reaction Towards a True Click Reaction for Functional Materials and Bioactive Heterocycles

Title: Shaping the [2+2] Cycloaddition–Retroelectrocyclization Reaction Towards a True Click Reaction for Functional Materials and Bioactive Heterocycles
Time: 3 PM
Venue: A01-214, Saraswati Bloack, Sahyadri Campus
Abstract: The [2+2] cycloaddition–retroelectrocyclization (CA–RE) reaction offers a powerful tool for constructing 1,1,4,4-tetracyanobutadienes (TCBDs), a class of push–pull chromophores with exceptional photophysical properties relevant to organic electronics. While this reaction meets many “click” chemistry criteria, its reliance on organic solvents and limited substrate scope has hindered broader applications, especially in biological contexts. In this talk, I will present our recent advances in transforming the CA–RE reaction into a greener, more versatile platform. We overcame the challenge of poor reactivity in water by introducing surfactant-stabilized nanosheets and vesicles, which not only enabled the reaction but also triggered a novel water-induced nitrile hydrolysis. This cascade led to the selective formation of amido- fulvenes, in polar aprotic solvents, their spontaneous rearrangement into six-membered heterocycles-structurally analogous to the cardiotonic drug milrinone. Systematic studies on surfactant types, concentrations, and solvent effects revealed pathways to control selectivity between TCBDs and these bioactive heterocycles. Remarkably, expanding the substrate scope to N-alkylated (≥C3)-4-ethynylanilines yielded a previously unknown merocyanine dye, confirmed by X-ray crystallography and spectroscopic techniques. Through the use of substrate induced transient nanoreactors, we were able to develop a turn-on detection kit for the measurement of blood lipid profiles. We also highlight the unique behavior of urea as an unconventional donor and introduce TCNEO as a novel acceptor, enabling an atypical CA–RE reaction pathway. This expands the chemical space and opens new avenues for applications in sensing and optoelectronic materials. Further, we extend the CA–RE strategy to the synthesis of quinolone-based heterocycles—key scaffolds in many therapeutic agents—demonstrating the potential of this reaction in medicinal chemistry. Our work represents a significant step toward establishing CA–RE as a truly “click” reaction, with applications spanning materials science to drug discovery.