The experience of the research group in applied
organic chemistry and sustainable approaches to organic
synthesis is now focused on the following topics:
- Design and application of new organometallic reagents to
organic synthesis.
- Synthesis of bioactive molecules.
- Design and development of new sustainable synthetic
processes.
- Preparation and use of new ion-tagged catalysts in
organocatalysis and in metal-catalyzed processes.
- Design and development of new organometallic reagents. A novel
class of alfa-hydroxyallylating agents developed in our lab will be
applied to the total synthesis of bioactive molecules, such as
fungicides and antibiotics.
- Synthesis of bioactive molecules. A new class of molecules with
endoperoxide moiety have been synthesized and are currently under
study for their potential activity as new antimalarial drugs.
- New sustainable chemical processes. Known syntheses will be
re-examined on the basis of eco-compatibility concepts. The
reduction of energy consumption by using microwave heating, the
reduction of chemical wastes by adopting solvent-less conditions or
water as solvent, the use of ionic liquids as non volatile solvents
are examples of technologies under development in our lab.
- Design and synthesis of ion tagged catalysts in organocatalysis
and in metal-promoted catalysis. Over the last two years the most
explored field in our lab was the design of metal-based catalysts
and organocatalysts capable to work under sustainable conditions,
e.g. in ionic liquids, in water or in aqueous biphasic conditions.
Our strategy involves the installation of a permanent ionic group
into the skeleton of known catalysts in such a way to combine
efficiency and stereoselectivity with the catalyst recyclability,
ensured by an efficient trapping of the catalyst in the ionic
liquid or aqueous phase.