Kyung Jung

• Research Associate, The Scripps Research Institute , 1994-1996

Tenure Track Appointments

• Associate Professor, University of Southern California, 2005 –
• Associate Professor, University of South Florida, 2002 – 2005
• Assistant Professor, University of South Florida, 1996 – 2002

Summary Statement of Research Interests

Jung’s group is currently focusing on two areas encompassing medicinal chemistry and future energy using organic synthesis as a tool.
Regarding medicinal chemistry, Jung studies on the development of synthetic methodologies and their utilization towards the syntheses of biologically important natural products as well as structurally novel artificial biomolecules.
Recently, Jung’s group launched a new program towards the development of novel catalysts and catalytic methods to provide alternative fuel and energy sources. Jung’s group studies on novel methods to generate C1 – C2 compounds from various abundant resources for future energy.

Research Keywords

Organic synthesis, catalysis, carbon-carbon bond formation, C-H activation, medicinal chemistry, alternative energy

Detailed Statement of Research Interests

We currently have two ongoing programs, namely medicinal chemistry and alternative future energy. To achieve these goals, Jung group has developed organic and/or organometallic methods including rhodium(II) catalyzed C-H activation and oxidative palladium(II) catalysis. These studies focus on the development of novel synthetic methodologies, which encompass new carbon-carbon bond forming catalysis, asymmetric catalysis, and discovery of novel organometallic catalysts. With these methodologies in hand, we have pursued their utilization towards the syntheses of biologically important natural products such as Omualide, kainic acid, and salinosporamide A. Jung’s group is also working on medicinal chemistry to inhibit HIV integrase and disrupt protein-protein interaction.
Recently, Jung’s group launched a new program towards the development of novel catalysts and catalytic methods to provide alternative fuel and energy sources. Jung’s group developed novel NHC-amidate-Pd(II) catalysts and their novel Pd(II) catalysis for C-H activation and oxidation of unreactive hydrocarbons and biomass. The immediate goals include 1. methane to methanol or acetic acid, 2. carbon dioxide to methanol, 3. oxidation of biomass (cellulose, etc) to one or two-carbon sources.

Journal Article

• Jung, K. W. (2011). Studies on Selective Hydroxylation of Aliphatic C-H Bonds Using Tridentate NHC-Amidate-Alkoxide Pd(II) Complexes. Bull. Korean Chem. Soc. Vol. 32, pp. 2881.
• Jung, K. W. (2010). Oxidative Degradation of Reducing Carbohydrates to Formic Acid with H2O2 and NH4OH. Tetrahedron Lett. Vol. 51, pp. 6192.
• Jung, K. W. (2010). Development of the Next Generation of HIV-1 Integrase Inhibitors: Pyrazolone as a Novel Inhibitor Scaffold. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. Vol. 20, pp. 6854.
• Jung, K. W. (2010). Tridentate, anionic tethered N-heterocyclic carbene of Pd(II) complexes. Journal of Organometallic Chemistry. Vol. 695, pp. 195.
• Jung, K. W. (2010). Asymmetric Intermolecular Boron-Heck Type Reactions via Oxidative Palladium(II) Catalysis with Chiral Tridentate NHC-Amidate-Alkoxide Ligands. Journal of Organic Chemistry. Vol. 75, pp. 95.
• Jung, K. W. (2010). Efficient Diacetoxylation of Alkenes via Pd(II)/Pd(IV) Process with Peracetic Acid and Acetic Anhydride. Organic Letters. Vol. 12, pp. 2450.
• Jung, K. W. (2009). Formal Aromatic C-H Insertion for Stereoselective Isoquinolinone Synthesis and Studies on Mechanistic Insights into the C-C Bond Formation. Journal of Organic Chemistry. Vol. 74, pp. 6231.
• Jung, K. W. (2009). Expeditious Enyne Construction from Alkynes via Oxidative Pd(II) Catalyzed Heck-Type Coupling. Tetrahedron Letters. Vol. 50, pp. 2370.
• Jung, K. W. (2009). Efficient Three-Component Strecker Reaction of Aldehydes/Ketones via NHC-Amidate Palladium(II) Complex Catalysis. Journal of Organic Chemistry. Vol. 74, pp. 2873.
• Jung, K. W. (2009). Air/Water-Stable Tridentate NHC-PdII Complex; Catalytic C-H Activation of Hydrocarbons via H/D Exchange Process in D2O. Adv. Syn. Catal.. Vol. 351, pp. 563.
• Jung, K. W. (2009). Highly Regioselective Heck-Coupling Reactions of Aryl Halides and Dihydropyran (DHP) in the Presence of NHC-Pyridine Ligand. Synlett. pp. 482.
• Jung, K. W. (2008). Chemoselective Three-Component Coupling via A Tandem Pd Catalyzed Boron-Heck and Suzuki Reaction. Tetrahedron Letters. Vol. 49, pp. 7307.
• Jung, K. W. (2008). Chiral PdII Complexes Possessing Tridentate NHC-Amidate-Alkoxy Ligand: Access to Oxygen-Bridging Dimer Structure. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.. Vol. 47, pp. 9326.
• Jung, K. W. (2007). Total Syntheses of (-)-a-Kainic Acid and (+)-a-Allokainic Acid via Stereoselective C-H Insertion and Efficient 3,4-Stereocontrol. Journal of Organic Chemistry. Vol. 72, pp. 10114.
• Jung, K. W. (2007). Stereogenic Evolution of clasto-Lactacystin ß-Lactone from (L)-Serine. European Journal of Organic Chemistry. Vol. NA, pp. 37.
• Jung, K. W. (2007). Asymmetric Intermolecular Heck-Type Reaction of Acyclic Alkenes via Oxidative Palladium(II) Catalysis. Organic Letters. Vol. 9, pp. 3933.
• Jung, K. W. (2006). Oxidative Palladium(II) Catalysis: A Highly Efficient and Chemoselective Cross-Coupling Method for Carbon-Carbon Bond Formation under Base-Free and Nitrogenous-Ligand Conditions. Journal of the American Chemical Society. Vol. 128, pp. 16384.