Discovering new organic chemistry using an inorganic touch. This project aims to discover new organic chemistry by treating carbon like a metal atom. Advances in fundamental organic chemistry have been important in developing products, including medicines, plastics and television display technology. Much research activity relies on applying existing organic chemistry, but inventing genuinely new organic chemistry is more difficult. By viewing carbon as a metal, this project will try to solve imp ....Discovering new organic chemistry using an inorganic touch. This project aims to discover new organic chemistry by treating carbon like a metal atom. Advances in fundamental organic chemistry have been important in developing products, including medicines, plastics and television display technology. Much research activity relies on applying existing organic chemistry, but inventing genuinely new organic chemistry is more difficult. By viewing carbon as a metal, this project will try to solve important problems in organic chemistry that have been unresolved for decades, and synthesise valuable chemicals normally generated using expensive precious metal catalysts.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100065
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$423,808.00
Summary
Designing Organocatalysts to Achieve Hyperpolarised Magnetic Resonance. Magnetic resonance techniques (such as MRI scans) suffer from an inherent insensitivity problem. In medical imaging, this can hamper diagnosis and mean long scan times for patients. This project aims to chemically develop catalysts which dramatically increase sensitivity, producing a signal that is thousands of times more visible. This project is significant as these catalysts can turn common, harmless molecules in the body ....Designing Organocatalysts to Achieve Hyperpolarised Magnetic Resonance. Magnetic resonance techniques (such as MRI scans) suffer from an inherent insensitivity problem. In medical imaging, this can hamper diagnosis and mean long scan times for patients. This project aims to chemically develop catalysts which dramatically increase sensitivity, producing a signal that is thousands of times more visible. This project is significant as these catalysts can turn common, harmless molecules in the body - even water - into visible tracers. The expected outcomes of this project include the synthesis and understanding of these catalysts which will be chemically fine-tuned to maximise their effectiveness. Potential benefits include translation to MRI applications to improve diagnosis and treatment, or chemical monitoring.Read moreRead less
A new molecular platform for catalytic synthesis of heterocycles. This project aims to address the lack of efficient methods to prepare cyclic molecules of biological relevance by utilising novel molecular platforms developed in our laboratories. This project expects to generate new cyclic molecules using these innovative molecular platforms by employing catalysts to reduce raw material and energy cost. The expected outcomes of this project include enhanced chemical technology to prepare cyclic ....A new molecular platform for catalytic synthesis of heterocycles. This project aims to address the lack of efficient methods to prepare cyclic molecules of biological relevance by utilising novel molecular platforms developed in our laboratories. This project expects to generate new cyclic molecules using these innovative molecular platforms by employing catalysts to reduce raw material and energy cost. The expected outcomes of this project include enhanced chemical technology to prepare cyclic molecules of pharmaceutical importance and the training of highly skilled PhD students. This should provide significant benefits, such as increased capacity for the development of new pharmaceuticals and advanced materials.Read moreRead less
New Discoveries in Organic Synthesis Inspired by the Efficiency of Nature. Nature can assemble complex organic molecules from simple starting materials with apparent ease, but the laboratory synthesis of these natural products is very difficult. This project aims to mimic the way in which Nature constructs organic compounds and thus develop more efficient, greener synthetic processes in which there is a rapid build up of molecular complexity via “biomimetic” reactions. We will integrate this app ....New Discoveries in Organic Synthesis Inspired by the Efficiency of Nature. Nature can assemble complex organic molecules from simple starting materials with apparent ease, but the laboratory synthesis of these natural products is very difficult. This project aims to mimic the way in which Nature constructs organic compounds and thus develop more efficient, greener synthetic processes in which there is a rapid build up of molecular complexity via “biomimetic” reactions. We will integrate this approach with modern methods of catalysis, including electrochemistry, photochemistry and biocatalysis. As a result, this work will expand the chemical space available to synthetic chemists working in the pharmaceutical industry. A further benefit is the training of the next generation of Australian synthetic chemists. Read moreRead less
Polarity inversion of conjugate acceptors: New opportunities in catalysis. Conjugate acceptors are common chemicals that are readily available from petrochemical and biomass feedstocks. While they are used extensively to build functional materials, including polymers and medicines, the reactions that they can engage in are largely limited to those exploiting their natural reactivity. In this project, catalysis will be used to allow these ubiquitous building blocks to react in entirely new ways. ....Polarity inversion of conjugate acceptors: New opportunities in catalysis. Conjugate acceptors are common chemicals that are readily available from petrochemical and biomass feedstocks. While they are used extensively to build functional materials, including polymers and medicines, the reactions that they can engage in are largely limited to those exploiting their natural reactivity. In this project, catalysis will be used to allow these ubiquitous building blocks to react in entirely new ways. In doing so new chemical reactions will be discovered that convert simple building blocks into sophisticated fine chemicals. The potential utility of the products is diverse and will enable future applications in fields focused on the preparation of functional materials. Read moreRead less
Lessons From Nature: Late Stage Oxidation in Total Synthesis. This project aims to achieve the chemical synthesis of a number of biologically active novel natural products. The key aspect is the application of chemistry inspired by Nature to deliver molecular complexity in a rapid fashion which would allow for the production of molecules otherwise unavailable in sufficient quantities from the natural sources. This research will utilize late stage oxidation of intermediates to provide ready acces ....Lessons From Nature: Late Stage Oxidation in Total Synthesis. This project aims to achieve the chemical synthesis of a number of biologically active novel natural products. The key aspect is the application of chemistry inspired by Nature to deliver molecular complexity in a rapid fashion which would allow for the production of molecules otherwise unavailable in sufficient quantities from the natural sources. This research will utilize late stage oxidation of intermediates to provide ready access to complex molecules. The main goal is the development of new chemical and biological catalysts for further application in organic synthesis with a view to the production of new medicinal agents and important materials.Read moreRead less
Mycobacterial Cholesterol Degradation: A Unique Metabolic Weakness? This project aims to understand the use of the steroid cholesterol as a source of essential metabolic building blocks by bacteria. Cholesterol utilisation is a key feature of many bacterial pathogens which have evolved to survive in niche environments. By understanding the initial step in cholesterol degradation and the bioinorganic and bioorganic chemistry of the metalloenzymes that catalyse it, this work aims to develop strate ....Mycobacterial Cholesterol Degradation: A Unique Metabolic Weakness? This project aims to understand the use of the steroid cholesterol as a source of essential metabolic building blocks by bacteria. Cholesterol utilisation is a key feature of many bacterial pathogens which have evolved to survive in niche environments. By understanding the initial step in cholesterol degradation and the bioinorganic and bioorganic chemistry of the metalloenzymes that catalyse it, this work aims to develop strategies to block this activity. This will turn a key strength of these bacteria into a potent weakness and will generate the proof of principle and knowledge required for the future development of effective strategies to combat pathogenic bacteria.Read moreRead less
Radical redox indicators. This project aims to synthesise the first examples of advanced biological imaging agents that can reversibly respond to the oxidative status of living cells. Novel mitochondrially-targeted, fluorescent probes will be derived from several well-established families of biological dyes through the introduction of a stable free radical within the parent structure. The design of the new imaging agents aims to both enhance retention in, and restrict the fluorescence response t ....Radical redox indicators. This project aims to synthesise the first examples of advanced biological imaging agents that can reversibly respond to the oxidative status of living cells. Novel mitochondrially-targeted, fluorescent probes will be derived from several well-established families of biological dyes through the introduction of a stable free radical within the parent structure. The design of the new imaging agents aims to both enhance retention in, and restrict the fluorescence response to, the mitochondria so that changes in oxidation and reduction can be monitored. The probes will provide an innovative new means to assess reactive species and associated oxidative stress, thus delivering a new methodology to aid research into mitochondrial chemical biology.Read moreRead less
Computational tools for organic synthesis. This project aims to develop new computer modelling techniques with the ability to rapidly identify efficient synthetic routes to target molecules. The barrier heights, reaction energies, and product selectivities of the individual steps in a multi-step synthesis are key factors determining its overall efficiency, and are traditionally determined empirically. Innovative tools for predicting these properties through computer simulations are the expected ....Computational tools for organic synthesis. This project aims to develop new computer modelling techniques with the ability to rapidly identify efficient synthetic routes to target molecules. The barrier heights, reaction energies, and product selectivities of the individual steps in a multi-step synthesis are key factors determining its overall efficiency, and are traditionally determined empirically. Innovative tools for predicting these properties through computer simulations are the expected outcomes of this project. These tools are anticipated to enable target molecules to be accessed more efficiently, with less expenditure of laboratory resources and a lower environmental impact, thereby contributing to an agile and sustainable chemical industry.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE210100110
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$474,000.00
Summary
High Resolution Mass Spectrometer for Chemical Characterisation in WA. The aim of this proposal is to establish new high resolution mass spectrometry facilities for Western Australia which will support multiple areas of chemical, materials and environmental science. The proposed platform will address a major need for the separation and characterisation of molecules relevant to synthetic and natural products chemistry, advanced materials and environmental analyses. The facility will support a num ....High Resolution Mass Spectrometer for Chemical Characterisation in WA. The aim of this proposal is to establish new high resolution mass spectrometry facilities for Western Australia which will support multiple areas of chemical, materials and environmental science. The proposed platform will address a major need for the separation and characterisation of molecules relevant to synthetic and natural products chemistry, advanced materials and environmental analyses. The facility will support a number of high impact ARC funded research projects in diverse areas, such as plant growth regulation, molecular electronics and environmental contaminants. The new instrumentation will be easy to use, provide advanced high quality data and overall benefit the next generation of researchers in Western Australia.Read moreRead less