Synthesis and Catalysis

The Centre for Chemical Research has a particular interest in the discovery and development of new synthetic methodologies and new catalytic methods that can be harnessed to provide innovative, efficient but also multivalent tools for natural product synthesis and drug discovery.

Amongst a multitude of synthetic approaches, we aim to harness the high levels of reactivity of arynes, carbenes and radicals (“reactive intermediates”), as they afford unique and powerful opportunities to control challenging new chemical and biological processes. In the area of catalysis, we study and utilise transition metal catalysis, bio-inspired asymmetric catalysis as well as catalytic methods based on earth-abundant d- and p-block elements.