Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/E010598/1
Title:	Exploiting Organocatalysis for the Synthesis of Amino acids, Aminophosphonates and Amidoallenes
Principal Investigator:	Armstrong, Professor A
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Chemistry
Organisation:	Imperial College London
Scheme:	Standard Research
Starts:	01 January 2007	Ends:	31 December 2008	Value (£):	233,106
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Asymmetric Chemistry Chemical Synthetic Methodology
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Chemicals Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
Related Grants:
Panel History:	Panel Date Panel Name Outcome 04 Jul 2006 Chemistry Prioritisation Panel (Science) Deferred
Summary on Grant Application Form
Catalysts are crucial for the synthesis of useful compounds because they allow chemical processes to be carried out under much milder conditions and with much higher efficiencies than would otherwise be the case. Asymmetric catalysis allows the preparation of compounds as single mirror image forms (enantiomers) which is critical for the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds. Traditionally, most efficient catalysts have contained transition metals. More recently, synthetic chemists have been focusing instead on the use of small organic molecules - known as organocatalysts - to promote important chemical reactions. As well as avoiding the use of potentially toxic metals, these catalysts often allow reactions to be carried out without the need to rigorously exclude water or air. This project will look at exploiting one particular organocatalytic reaction - one which allows a sulfur atom to be introduced stereoselectively next to an aldehyde functional group - to eventually allow the synthesis of biologically important amino acids and aminophosphonates as well as amidoallenes, which are valuable synthetic building blocks. The aim will be to carry out further synthetic processes (namely conversion of the aldehyde to an alkene and amination of the sulfur atom followed by a molecular rearrangement) in the same reaction pot as the organocatalytic step. This will remove the need for purification of intermediates and hence allow the high-value reaction products to be prepared with minimal waste of solvents and other materials. The chemistry will also allow the synthesis of particular classes of amino acids, aminophosphonates and amidoallenes that are difficult to make using existing chemical reactions.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.imperial.ac.uk