Enhanced Synthetic Efficiency For Molecular Complexity and Diversity. This project aims to introduce new, broad-spectrum strategies that permit more efficient and selective ways to access complex organic molecules. The approach involves maximising the molecule-building potential of some of the smallest accessible molecular building blocks. Significant outcomes expected from this work include much shorter chemical syntheses of important organic substances and much improved, broad scope synthetic ....Enhanced Synthetic Efficiency For Molecular Complexity and Diversity. This project aims to introduce new, broad-spectrum strategies that permit more efficient and selective ways to access complex organic molecules. The approach involves maximising the molecule-building potential of some of the smallest accessible molecular building blocks. Significant outcomes expected from this work include much shorter chemical syntheses of important organic substances and much improved, broad scope synthetic methods. The concepts introduced by this work aims to benefit industry and manufacturing by introducing more efficient methods for fine chemical manufacture, while simultaneously lowering energy use and producing less waste.Read moreRead less
Hydrogen atom abstraction and addition via proton coupled electron transfer. To prepare new chemicals for the challenges of today, and those in the future, new ways to build materials are needed. These need to deliver maximum complexity (necessary for increasingly sophisticated applications) with minimal economic and environmental cost. In this proposal a family of reactions that are possible using light mediated chemistry will be developed. This approach will allow technologies to be discovered ....Hydrogen atom abstraction and addition via proton coupled electron transfer. To prepare new chemicals for the challenges of today, and those in the future, new ways to build materials are needed. These need to deliver maximum complexity (necessary for increasingly sophisticated applications) with minimal economic and environmental cost. In this proposal a family of reactions that are possible using light mediated chemistry will be developed. This approach will allow technologies to be discovered that will enhance the scientific communities ability to deliver materials designed for a wide array of functions from medicinal chemistry, through to materials science. Read moreRead less
Multi-Bond-Forming Processes: Step-Economical Synthesis In Batch And Flow. This project aims to develop better ways to make and understand organic substances: the materials that make up all known life forms, our medicines, and many designed materials. Based on the previous development of powerful multi-bond-forming processes, the purpose of this project is to develop cascade sequences involving dendralenes in new and innovative ways. The project plans to generalise these processes and apply them ....Multi-Bond-Forming Processes: Step-Economical Synthesis In Batch And Flow. This project aims to develop better ways to make and understand organic substances: the materials that make up all known life forms, our medicines, and many designed materials. Based on the previous development of powerful multi-bond-forming processes, the purpose of this project is to develop cascade sequences involving dendralenes in new and innovative ways. The project plans to generalise these processes and apply them in short total syntheses; extend the boundaries of multi-bond-forming processes and break new records; and reach higher levels of synthetic efficiency and selectivity by introducing the latest flow chemistry and automated reaction optimisation technology.Read moreRead less
Organic Linchpin Reagents to Construct Structural Diversity and Complexity. High-energy chemical species such as carbenes, nitrenes or free radicals are often used as reactive intermediates in organic reactions to rapidly generate new bonds, structures and structural complexities. Due to their reactive nature, traditionally only one type of high-energy chemical species can be featured at a time to avoid unwanted complicated side reactions. This project aims to develop novel synthetic substrates ....Organic Linchpin Reagents to Construct Structural Diversity and Complexity. High-energy chemical species such as carbenes, nitrenes or free radicals are often used as reactive intermediates in organic reactions to rapidly generate new bonds, structures and structural complexities. Due to their reactive nature, traditionally only one type of high-energy chemical species can be featured at a time to avoid unwanted complicated side reactions. This project aims to develop novel synthetic substrates bearing multiple carbene and nitrene precursors of different types. These high-energy intermediates can be released in a relayed fashion by controlling orthogonal stimuli and therefore acting as linchpin reagents for quick construction of bio- or photo-active compounds and unprecedented complicated structures.Read moreRead less
New catalytic alkyne cyclisation strategies for complex molecule synthesis. This project aims to realise new and efficient catalytic chemistry for carbocyclic and heterocyclic synthesis, an immensely important compound family due to their synthetic, biological and material applications. This would be shown by providing new sustainable solutions that minimise resources use and waste production urgently demanded by industry and society to lessen the ecological impact of chemical manufacturing. Exp ....New catalytic alkyne cyclisation strategies for complex molecule synthesis. This project aims to realise new and efficient catalytic chemistry for carbocyclic and heterocyclic synthesis, an immensely important compound family due to their synthetic, biological and material applications. This would be shown by providing new sustainable solutions that minimise resources use and waste production urgently demanded by industry and society to lessen the ecological impact of chemical manufacturing. Expected outcomes include new materials and chemical processes giving Australian industry and academia the cutting-edge in research competitiveness and capacity. This should provide major benefits such as training the next generation of Australian synthetic chemists and wealth creation by supporting the chemical sciences.Read moreRead less
Photoinduced Palladium Catalysis for Next Generation C-H Bond Activation. This project aims to discover new methods for the conversion of carbon-hydrogen bonds in organic molecules as a general strategy in chemical synthesis. A key conceptual advance in this project is the unification of transition metal catalysis and visible light as a powerful tool to activate these traditionally unreactive, yet abundant chemical bonds in alkanes. With application in fields that range from fine chemical produc ....Photoinduced Palladium Catalysis for Next Generation C-H Bond Activation. This project aims to discover new methods for the conversion of carbon-hydrogen bonds in organic molecules as a general strategy in chemical synthesis. A key conceptual advance in this project is the unification of transition metal catalysis and visible light as a powerful tool to activate these traditionally unreactive, yet abundant chemical bonds in alkanes. With application in fields that range from fine chemical production to drug discovery, the overarching aim of this research is to establish new carbon-hydrogen bond activation reactions and to demonstrate that this strategy can be translated to the invention of new pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and advanced synthetic materials that will have societal impact.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
Sulfur Polymers: A New Class of Dynamic, Responsive & Recyclable Materials. This project aims to establish design principles for the manufacture of polymers made from sulfur, an abundant yet underused building block. These novel materials will be tested as next-generation rubber and plastic. This project expects to generate new knowledge in how these materials can be assembled and recycled, and also how they can be used to extract valuable gold from ore and e-waste. Anticipated outcomes of the p ....Sulfur Polymers: A New Class of Dynamic, Responsive & Recyclable Materials. This project aims to establish design principles for the manufacture of polymers made from sulfur, an abundant yet underused building block. These novel materials will be tested as next-generation rubber and plastic. This project expects to generate new knowledge in how these materials can be assembled and recycled, and also how they can be used to extract valuable gold from ore and e-waste. Anticipated outcomes of the project include access to entirely new materials useful in sustainable plastic manufacturing and sustainable gold extraction. These outcomes should provide significant benefits including functional replacements for non-recyclable plastics and elimination of toxic mercury and cyanide in gold mining and e-waste processing.Read moreRead less
Thioamide ligations: new technologies for peptide and protein synthesis. This project aims to develop novel amide-bond forming reactions for the chemical synthesis of peptides and proteins. New peptide ligation strategies, including an asparagine-based ligation and a residue-independent ligation will be developed that exploit the recent discovery of silver-promoted coupling reactions of thioamides. A novel late-stage, chemo-selective assembly of N-glycosylated asparagine residues in peptides and ....Thioamide ligations: new technologies for peptide and protein synthesis. This project aims to develop novel amide-bond forming reactions for the chemical synthesis of peptides and proteins. New peptide ligation strategies, including an asparagine-based ligation and a residue-independent ligation will be developed that exploit the recent discovery of silver-promoted coupling reactions of thioamides. A novel late-stage, chemo-selective assembly of N-glycosylated asparagine residues in peptides and proteins will also be developed. The outcomes of this research will lead to breakthroughs in synthetic methodologies for the assembly and functionalisation of peptides and proteins, thereby enabling access to a range of homogeneous, post translationally modified proteins though total chemical synthesis. These research outcomes will expand Australia's research capability and global competitiveness in the field of biotechnology, delivering significant benefits to the third largest manufacturing sector in Australia.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