Namrata Rastogi, Ph.D.
Principal Scientist,Division Of Medicinal and Process Chemistry
Synthetic Organic Chemistry,Medicinal Chemistry
Group Web Page:
https://namratacdri.wixsite.com/home
Synthetic Organic Chemistry
Our group research focuses on the development of methodologies for the construction of privileged heterocycles/carbocycles. We are particularly interested in the chemistry of diazo compounds. We developed several novel reactions of diazo compounds such as dipolar cycloaddition, substitution, addition-elimination, insertion, ylide rearrangement etc. Recently, we employed diazo compounds in novel visible light mediated reactions as well.
Another focus area of our research group is Visible Light Photoredox catalysis (VLPC). The field of visible light catalysis has witnessed tremendous progress in last decade. However, major limitation of VLPC has been the use of organometallic complexes of Ir and Ru as photocatalysts. Towards this end, we directed our efforts to develop “organo-photoredox” catalyzed reactions and successfully employed organic dyes and other small organic molecules as photocatalysts/photosensitizers under visible light irradiation.
Medicinal Chemistry
Parasitic diseases such as malaria, filaria and leishmaniases present a serious health threat especially for third world countries. Leishmaniases is among the six priority diseases of the “Tropical Diseases Research” program of the World Health Organisation. Out of the three forms of leishmaniases namely cutaneous, mucosal and visceral, the visceral leishmaniases accounts for more than 90% cases of leishmania in India, Bangladesh, Sudan and Brazil. The available treatment for visceral leishmaniases is limited due to the cost, drug-toxicity and increasing drug-resistance. Therefore, discovery of new drug targets and development of new active chemotherapeutic agents against new/known targets is highly desired.
Our group is actively engaged in developing small molecules against leishmanial and mararial parasite based on privileged heterocyclic scaffolds.