Dr Torren Peakman's Research Interests

NATURAL PRODUCT AND BIOMARKER CHEMISTRY

Natural products are organic molecules, biosynthesised by living organisms, which perform certain biological functions. An incredible variety of these compounds, frequently containing heteroatoms and occasionally metals, has been reported and numerous novel structures are discovered yearly. The chemistry of natural products has provided and continues to provide great impetus for studies in the areas of medicine, organic synthesis, NMR spectroscopy and analytical methodology.

Another intriguing development related to natural product chemistry is in the area of biomarker chemistry which aims to related the structures of complex molecules (biomarkers) present in fossil fuel deposits to those of natural products. Analysis of the structural types and distributions of the biomarkers in e.g. crude oils finds practical applications in petroleum exploration.

1. Studies aimed at preparing the natural product triterpene tetrahymmanol (2) from hydroxyhopanone (1):
   

2. Partial synthesis of novel degraded triterpenes derived from higher plants of potential biomarker interest, e.g. the A-ring degraded taraxastane derivative (4) from lupenone (3).
   

3. NMR Characterisation of pentacyclic triterpenes utilising techniques such as homonuclear decoupling, nOe difference and phase-sensitive homo- and hetero-nuclear correlations.

1. Tetrahedron (1991) 47, 3779
2. Tetrahedron (1992) 48, 3915
3. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta (1992) 56, 1993
4. Science (1994) 265, 768