Modular Helicenoid Lewis Base Catalysts Applied to Modern Synthesis and Materials

模块化螺烯路易斯碱催化剂应用于现代合成和材料

• 批准号: EP/J005118/1
• 负责人: David Carbery
• 金额: $ 54.66万
• 依托单位: University of Bath
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2012 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FJ005118%2F1
• 关键词: Modular; Helicenoid; Lewis; Base; Catalysts

The property of handedness is of extreme importance in chemistry because this property controls so many aspects of life, both inside ourselves and the world around ourselves. The shapes of molecules act in a similar fashion to the human hand: you will struggle to properly fit a left hand into a right handed glove. This handedness of molecules has profound effects on their biological activity. Therefore, being able to control the handedness of synthesised compounds is critical to the function of these products. One way to accomplish this is by using catalysts that possess one-sense of handedness. An area of increasing relevance to chemistry, and society beyond the world of chemical research, is organocatalysis where small organic molecules, as opposed to transition metals, catalyse the formation of useful handed molecules.Nature constructs many structures which are based upon a helical shape, from the large (e.g. hurricanes) to the very small (our genetic DNA). These structures are chiral by virtue of being helical, that is, they are "handed." This proposal concerns the development of much improved, powerful helical organic catalysts. We wish to use these to control the handedness when forming products with a specific sense of handedness or when performing polymerisations. This project will examine the development of new reactions and the formation of "handed" polymers, with progress in these areas likely to be of significant benefit to science and society.In particular, the polymers we wish to examine may have a large impact on all of our lives. We will seek to use our catalysts to make polymers, made from materials sourced from almonds, which will have properties similar to polystyrene. This has significance as polystyrene is a non-biodegradable material filling global land fill sites. We all see a lot of polystyrene on a day-to-day basis... the mountain of "coffee cups" rises and rises in land fill contexts. The polymers we will synthesise will be biodegradable, so will compost quite happily yet our catalyst will help us keep the desirable mechanical properties of polystyrene.Taken together, this project will make strides in new catalyst design, reaction development and searching for new "green" polymers to replace an evasive, taken for granted polymer.

利手的性质在化学上是极其重要的，因为这种性质控制着生活的许多方面，包括我们自己的内心和我们周围的世界。分子的形状与人类的手相似：你将很难将左手正确地插入右手手套中。分子的这种利手性对它们的生物活性有深远的影响。因此，能够控制合成化合物的手性对这些产品的功能至关重要。要做到这一点，一种方法是使用具有一手感觉的催化剂。在化学研究之外，与化学和社会日益相关的一个领域是有机催化，其中小的有机分子，而不是过渡金属，催化形成有用的手性分子。大自然构建了许多基于螺旋形状的结构，从大的(例如飓风)到非常小的(我们的基因DNA)。这些结构是手性的，因为它们是螺旋的，也就是说，它们是“手性”的。这项建议涉及到更多改进的、功能强大的螺旋有机催化剂的开发。我们希望在形成具有特定利手感的产品或进行聚合时使用这些控制利手。这个项目将研究新反应的发展和“手性”聚合物的形成，这些领域的进展可能会对科学和社会产生重大好处。尤其是，我们希望研究的聚合物可能会对我们所有人的生活产生重大影响。我们将寻求使用我们的催化剂来制造聚合物，这种聚合物由来自杏仁的材料制成，具有类似聚苯乙烯的性质。这一点意义重大，因为聚苯乙烯是一种不可生物降解的材料，充斥着全球垃圾填埋场。我们每天都能看到大量的聚苯乙烯……堆积如山的“咖啡杯”在填海造地的环境中层出不穷。我们将合成的聚合物将是可生物降解的，因此将非常愉快地堆肥，而我们的催化剂将帮助我们保持聚苯乙烯的理想机械性能。综合而言，该项目将在新催化剂设计、反应开发和寻找新的“绿色”聚合物方面取得进展，以取代一种闪闪发光的、被视为理所当然的聚合物。