Research

The overriding mission of the Lambert group is to make dramatic improvements in the way that chemists make molecules.  To achieve this goal, we strive not just to solve important problems in chemical synthesis, but to invent fundamentally new ways to approach those problems. Our philosophy is that significant departures from established paradigms provide the greatest opportunity to make transformative advances in the field of organic synthesis, and consequently on any area of human enterprise that relies on the deliberate construction of small molecules. 

In pursuit of this broad goal, our focus has been to pioneer new concepts in the field of catalysis.  We have been especially interested in designing novel catalytic platforms that offer comprehensive solutions to broad collections of related problems, a focus that has resulted in a number of ground breaking discoveries.  For example, we have pioneered the use of aromatic ions as a design element in catalysis, a concept that has led to the development of cyclopropenones as the first general catalytic approach to dehydrative reactions, and of cyclopropenimines as a powerful new platform for enantioselective Brønsted base catalysis.

These and other discoveries represent the embodiment of our commitment to innovation and provide the basis for multiple broad programs of exploration in chemical synthesis.