Prior to coming to Smith in 2011, David Gorin was at Harvard University from 2008–11 as an American Cancer Society-Canary Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology.

His research interests are in organic and bioorganic chemistry, and his lab focuses on two major areas: 1) Selective chemical catalysts and reagents are needed for the modification and functional perturbation of molecules in complex contexts, such as in biological and environmental samples. The lab uses tools from synthetic chemistry and molecular biology to develop new reagents that selectively transform one component of a biological mixture; and 2) Methylation reactions are ubiquitous in synthetic organic chemistry, but typical methods rely upon hazardous and/or unstable reagents. They are developing new strategies for methylation and related reactions that instead use safe, stable reagents.

Selected Publications

*denotes Smith undergraduate co-author

Bartlett, M. E.*; Zhu, Y.*; Gaffney, U. B.*; Lee, J.*; Wu, M.*; Sharew, B.*; Chavez, A. K.*; Gorin, D. J. "Cu-Catalyzed Phenol O-Methylation with Methylboronic Acid” European Journal of Organic Chemistry 2021, 41, 5661-5664.

Flanagan, M. L., Arguello, A. E.*, Colman, D. E.*, Kim, J.*, Krejci, J. N.*, Liu, S.*, Yao, Y.*, Zhang, Y.*, Gorin, D. J. "A DNA-conjugated small molecule catalyst enzyme mimic for site-selective ester hydrolysis," Chemical Science, 2018, 9, 2105–2112

Gorin, D. J.; Jamieson, E.; Queeney, K.; Shea, K.; Read Spray, C. “The "pHunger Games": Manuscript Review to Assess Graduating Chemistry Majors" Journal of Chemical Education 2016, 93, 2058–2062.

Shea, K. M.; Gorin, D. J.; Buck, M. E. “Literature-Based Problems for Introductory Organic Chemistry Quizzes and Exams” Journal of Chemical Education 2016, 93, 886-890.

Jacobson, C. E.*, Martinez-Munoz, N.*, Gorin, D. J., "Aerobic Copper-Catalyzed O-Methylation with Methylboronic Acid," Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2015, 80, 7305-7310.

Gorin, D. J., "Diethyl Carbonate-First Update" Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis[Online], John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2015, DOI:10.1002/047084289X.rd180.pub2.

Ji, Y.*, Sweeney, J.*, Zoglio, J.*, Gorin, D.J., "Catalytic Methyl Transfer from Dimethylcarbonate to Carboxylic Acids," Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2013, 78, 11606-11611.

McGregor, L. M., Gorin, D. J., Dumelin, C. E., Liu, D. R., "Interaction-Dependent PCR Identifies Target-Ligand Pairs from Libraries of Targets and Ligands," Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2010, 132, 15522-15524.

Gorin, D. J., Kamlet, A. S., Liu, D. R., "Reactivity-Dependent PCR: Direct, Solution-Phase in Vitro Selection for Bond Formation," Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2009, 131, 9189-9191.

Gorin, D. J., Sherry, B. D., Toste, F.D., "Ligand Effects in Homogeneous Gold Catalysis," Chemical Reviews, 2008, 108, 3351-3378.

Gorin, D. J., Watson, I. D. G., Toste, F. D., "Fluorenes and Styrenes by Au(I)-Catalyzed Annulation of Enynes and Alkynes," Journal of the American Chemical Society 2008, 130, 3736-3737.

Gorin, D. J., Sherry, B. D., Toste, F. D., "Triphenylphosphinegold(I) Chloride,"Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis, 2008.

Gorin, D. J., Toste, F. D.,"Relativistic Effects in Homogeneous Gold Catalysis,"Nature,2007, 446, 395-403.

Gorin, D. J., Dube, P., Toste, F. D.,"Synthesis of Benzonorcaradienes via Gold(I)-Catalyzed [4+3] Annulation," Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2006, 128, 14480-14481.

Johansson, M. J., Gorin, D. J., Staben, S. T., Toste, F. D., "Gold(I)-Catalyzed Stereoselective Olefin Cyclopropanation," Journal of the American Chemical Society,2005, 127, 18002-18003.

Gorin, D. J., Davis, N. R., Toste, F. D., "Gold(I)-Catalyzed Intramolecular Acetylenic Schmidt Reaction," Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2005, 127, 11260-11261.

Shi, X., Gorin, D. J., Toste, F. D., "Synthesis of 2-Cyclopentenones by Gold(I)-Catalyzed Rautenstrauch Rearrangement," Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2005, 127, 5802-5803.

Hoyt, S. B., London, C., Gorin, D., Wyvratt, M. J., Fisher, M. H., Abbadie, C., Felix, J. P., Garcia, M. L., Li, X., Lyons, K. A., McGowan, E., MacIntyre, D. E., Martin, W. J., Priest, B. T., Ritter, A., Smith, M. M., Warren, V. A., Williams, B. S., Kaczorowski, G. J., Parsons, W. H., "Discovery of a Novel Class of Benzazepinone Nav 1.7 Blockers: Potential Treatments for Neuropathic Pain," Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2007, 17, 4630-4634.