Upendra Sharma, Ph.D.
Professor Sharma obtained his PhD from the CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur, India. He followed this with a lecturer position at the National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, India. He was a postdoctoral fellow at KU Leuven, the University of Cambridge, the University of Eindhoven, and the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry. Additionally, he has worked as a visiting research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 2020, he joined KU Leuven as a research expert (Jr. group leader) starting his independent research career before joining the University of Missouri - St. Louis faculty in the fall of 2024.
Research Interests
In recent years, the growing emphasis on sustainable chemistry has driven the advancement of modern methodologies and tools, collectively known as Enabling Technologies. These transformative approaches have overcome key limitations of traditional synthetic methods, opening new avenues for innovation. The integration of flow chemistry with other advanced technologies, such as photoredox catalysis, synthetic electrochemistry, automation and machine learning, promises to further enhance its capabilities, making it a key tool for driving innovation in organic synthesis. With flow chemistry at the forefront, these enabling technologies form the foundation of the UKS Research Group at UMSL.
Dr Sharma’s research has been focused on the challenging chemical transformations that require extreme oxidation or reduction potential e.g., SET oxidations of boronic acid derivatives (> +2.0 V vs SCE), and SET reduction of aryl/alkyl halides (> -2.0 V vs SCE). One of the major research areas is ‘Boron-Based Radical Chemistry for the Sustainable Synthesis of (Bio)molecules’ with an aim of developing continuous-flow friendly chemical processes. Boron enjoys unique chemical bonding that could expand its photo- or electro-chemical applications including modes of Lewis acidity not available to typical elements of life.
Work carried out in the research group has shown that hydrogen-bonding interactions with free boronic acids (BA) and amide based solvents (DMF, DMA, DMSO etc.) can photoactivate them towards alkyl radicals generation which then participate in various Giese-type addition, nickel chemistry, E1cB-type elimination chemistry, Petasis multicomponent reaction, and a flow compatible Minisci alkylation chemistry. Even though the benefits of flow over batch for visible-light-driven transformations are nowadays well-established, yet its potential has not been fully exploited in combination with other enabling technologies.
The research group focuses on designing and developing a broad range of reaction pathways utilizing organoboranes as both radical precursors and radical mediators under photochemical and electrochemical conditions. A core objective of the group is to enhance the efficiency, scalability, and sustainability of chemical synthesis. An important extension of this work involves exploring the interplay between open-shell single-electron transfer (SET) processes and closed-shell organometallic steps involving transition metals such as Pd, Ni, and Co under mild conditions. Significantly, the group’s approach to scalability is rooted in a chemist’s perspective - developing novel methodologies that are inherently suited for implementation in flow chemistry platforms.
Selected Publications:
″Recent developments in the photoredox catalyzed Minisci-type reactions under continuous flow″, S. Pillitteri, E. V. Van der Eycken, and U. K. Sharma, Chem. Comm. 2025, 61, 13.
″Scalable frequency selective microwave-assisted reactor setup for organic synthesis″, M. Martinic, L. Y. Vazquez-Amaya, M. Mertens, U. K. Sharma, Upendra E. V. Van der Eycken, G. A. E. Vandenbosch, B. Nauwelaers, and T. Markovic, Sensors and Actuators, A, 2025, 391, 116665.
″Bromine radical release from a nickel-complex facilitates the activation of alkyl boronic acids: a boron selective Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling″, M. Oliva, S. Pillitteri, J. Schorgenhumer, R. Saito, E. V. Van der Eycken, and U. K. Sharma, Chem. Sci. 2024, 15, 17490
“Lab-scale flow chemistry? Just do it yourself!” L. Y. Vázquez-Amaya, G. A. Coppola, E. V. Van der Eycken, and U. K. Sharma, J. Flow Chem. 2024, 14, 257.
“Highly modular PDMS microwave-microfluidic chip reactor for MAOS applications” L. Y. Vázquez-Amaya, M. Martinic, B. Nauwelaers, E. V. Van der Eycken, T. Markovic, and U. K. Sharma, : React. Chem. Eng. 2024, 9, 2098.
“Hydroalkylation of styrenes enabled by boryl radical mediated halogen atom transfer” S. Pillitteri, R. Walia, E. V. Van der Eycken, and U. K. Sharma, Chem. Sci. 2024, 15, 8813.
“Light-driven four-component reaction with boronic acid derivatives as alkylating agents: an amine/imine mediated activation approach” L. Y. Vázquez-Amaya, B. Dootselaere, G. M. Ojeda-Carralero, S. Pillitteri, E. V. Van der Eycken, and U. K. Sharma. Org. Lett. 2023, 25, 4010.
“Boronic acids and their derivatives as continuous-flow friendly alkyl radical precursors” M. Oliva, V. V Chernobrovkina, E. V. Van Der Eycken, and U. K Sharma. Synlett 2023, 34, 1662.
“Going with the µFlow: Reinterpreting energy input in organic synthesis” L. Y. Vázquez-Amaya, G. A. Coppola, E. V. Van der Eycken, and U. K. Sharma. Chimia 2023, 77, 327.
“Visible-light-induced cascade difunctionalization of indoles enabled by the synergy of photoredox and photoexcited ketones: direct access to alkylated pyrrolophenanthridones” S. Chen, S. Pillitteri, E. Fron, L. Van Meervelt, E. V. Van der Eycken, and U. K. Sharma. Org. Lett. 2022, 24, 9386.
“Merging dual photoredox/cobalt catalysis and boronic acid (derivatives) activation for the Minisci reaction” S. Pillitteri, P. Ranjan, G. M. Ojeda-Carralero, L. Y. Vázquez Amaya, J. E. Alfonso-Ramos, E. V. Van der Eycken, and U. K. Sharma. Org. Chem. Front. 2022, 9, 6958.
“Multicomponent reactions and photo/electrochemistry join forces: atom economy meets energy efficiency” G. A. Coppola, S. Pillitteri, E. V. Van der Eycken, S. -L. You, and U. K. Sharma. Chem. Soc. Rev. 2022, 51, 2313.
“Visible-light-driven palladium-catalyzed radical tandem dearomatization of indoles with unactivated alkenes” S. Chen, L. Van Meervelt, E. V. Van der Eycken, and U. K. Sharma. Org. Lett. 2022, 24, 1213.
“Photoredox-catalyzed multicomponent Petasis reaction in batch and continuous flow with alkyl boronic acids” M. Oliva, P. Ranjan, S. Pillitteri, G. Coppola, M. Messina, E. V. Van der Eycken, and U. K. Sharma. iScience, 2021, 24, 103134
“Unlocking the accessibility of alkyl radicals from boronic acids through hydrogen-bond assisted organophotoredox activation” P. Ranjan, S. Pillitteri, G. Coppola, M. Oliva, E. V. Van der Eycken, and U. K. Sharma. ACS Catal. 2021, 11, 10862.
“Palladium-catalyzed domino synthesis of 2,3-difunctionalized indoles via migratory insertion of isocyanides in batch and continuous flow” S. Chen, M. Oliva, L. Van Meervelt, E. V. Van der Eycken, and U. K. Sharma. Adv. Synth. Catal. 2021, 363, 3220.
