Our research emphasis over the past forty years has been the development of small organic molecules that possess biological activity. In particular this emphasis has focused on heteroaromatic molecules. This “medicinal chemistry” approach has involved the synthesis of pyrimidine derivatives and, occasionally, other heterocyclic systems.

At the present time we are involved in two major efforts:

(1) The synthesis of pyrimidine molecules that contain phenyl rings either directly attached to the hetero nucleus or removed by one or more carbon spacers. Examples of such compounds have previously shown activity against leukemia cells, lung cancer cells, and pancreatic cancer cells. However because of limitations such as toxicity or insolubility there is a need to develop compounds that can be more effective.

(2) Chalcones are natural products that have been modified to provide derivatives that are effective against breast cancer cells. In the biological world chalcones can be cyclized to either flavones or aurones. We recently initiated a program to synthesize aurones that contain the boronic acid moiety with a view toward developing more effective antibreast cancer agents.

2,4,6-Trichloropyrimidine. Reaction with 4-Substituted Phenolate Ions, T. J. Delia and A. Nagarajan, J. Heterocyclic Chem., 1998, 35, 269.

2,4,6-Trichloropyrimidine. Reaction with Sodium Amide, T. J. Delia, B. R. Meltsner, and J. M. Schomaker, J. Heterocyclic Chem. 1999, 36, 1259.

2,4,6-Trichloropyrimidine. Reaction with Anilines, J. M. Schomaker and T. J. Delia, J. Heterocyclic Chem. 2000, 37, 1457.

Arylation of Halogenated Pyrimidines via Suzuki Coupling Reactions, J. M. Schomaker and T. J. Delia, J. Org. Chem. 2001, 66, 1725.

Diarylthiopyrimidines and Pyridines: Synthesis and Biological Activity, T. J. Delia, J. B. Kanaar, and E. Knefelkamp, J. Heterocyclic Chem. 2002, 39, 347.

2,4,6-Trifluoropyrimidine Reactions With Nitrogen Nucleophiles, T. J. Delia, D. P. Anderson, and J. M. Schomaker, J. Heterocyclic Chem. 2004, 41, 991.

Improved Synthesis of Nitriles of Quinolone Antibiotics, K. A. Korthals and T. J. Delia, Organic Preparations and Procedures Int., 2004, 36, 597.

The Synthesis of Substituted Phenylpyrimidines via Suzuki Coupling Reactions, T. J. Delia, J. M. Schomaker, and A. S. Kalinda, J. Heterocyclic Chem., 2006, 43, 127.