New and tandem processes in asymmetric organocatalysis

不对称有机催化中的新串联过程

• 批准号: EP/D070112/1
• 负责人: Alexander Cobb
• 金额: $ 26.52万
• 依托单位: University of Reading
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2006 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FD070112%2F1
• 关键词: New; tandem; processes; asymmetric; organocatalysis

There is no doubt that the world's resources are becoming increasingly scarce and that mankind will have to find more ways of being efficient and scrupulous in its use of nonrenewable materials. In addition to this, there is the concern that any new processes, however efficient or inefficient, should be as environmentally compatible as possible. This project will be concerned with the development of chemical methodology that is compliant with these values, whilst at the same time addressing the huge issue of making potent compounds which are medicinally, very important.The definition of a catalyst is 'a substance which increases the rate of a reaction without itself being destroyed'. This means that it can be used in very small quantities, which is compliant with a more environmentally aware approach. However, in many cases these catalysts contain metals to co-ordinate and orchestrate specific reaction processes and this of course has the potential to both consume metal reserves as well as introducing an imbalance of such metals into the ecosystem. As a result, the area of organocatalysis has arisen. This is an area of chemistry concerned with the catalysis of reactions without any reliance on metals and one that this project addresses. One specific application of organocatalysis that has received much attention is its use in asymmetric synthesis. This immensely important area of chemistry stems from the fact that a carbon atom which is surrounded by four different groups, can have a non-superimposable mirror image, such as the left hand is of the right and asymmetric synthesis attempts to exclusively make one of these two 'hands'. The reason for this is that different handed molecules can interact with biological systems in different ways (imagine trying to shake someone's hand with your left hand / it's much more difficult!). An example of this is the molecule carvone, where one 'hand' smells of spearmint, but the other smells of caraway seed due to the different interaction of each 'hand' with the nasal receptors. In drug compounds, the difference can mean that one compound has a lower activity or have a completely different effect. So, clearly there is a need to be able to make molecules of one handedness, so that we know a specific biological response is given by one specific and known compound. This project will be concerned with the development of this area of chemistry and will take the understanding and applicability of it beyond today's level. Currently, there are a limited range of organocatalytic reactions and this research aims to introduce a new range of reactions to the chemist's toolbox. Ultimately, this research will investigate and establish new areas of chemistry which could help industries such as pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals to establish the efficient synthesis of drugs and biologically active compounds with less detriment to the environment or to the existing, but diminishing supplies of metals in the world.

毫无疑问，世界上的资源正变得越来越稀缺，人类将不得不找到更多的方法来有效和科学地利用不可再生材料。除此之外，人们还担心，任何新工艺，无论效率如何，都应尽可能与环境相容。该项目将关注符合这些价值观的化学方法学的发展，同时解决制造有效化合物的巨大问题，这些化合物在医学上非常重要。催化剂的定义是“一种物质，它可以增加反应速率而本身不被破坏”。这意味着它可以以非常小的数量使用，这符合更环保的方法。然而，在许多情况下，这些催化剂含有金属来协调和安排特定的反应过程，这当然有可能消耗金属储量，并将这些金属的不平衡引入生态系统。因此，有机催化领域应运而生。这是一个与不依赖金属的反应催化有关的化学领域，也是本项目所解决的问题。有机催化在不对称合成中的应用是一个备受关注的特殊应用。这个非常重要的化学领域源于这样一个事实，即被四个不同基团包围的碳原子可以具有不可重叠的镜像，例如左手是右手，而不对称合成试图专门制造这两个“手”中的一个。这是因为不同的手性分子可以以不同的方式与生物系统相互作用（想象一下，用你的左手与某人握手/这要困难得多！）。这方面的一个例子是香芹酮分子，其中一只“手”闻起来像留兰香，但另一只闻起来像香菜种子，这是由于每只“手”与鼻受体的不同相互作用。在药物化合物中，差异可能意味着一种化合物具有较低的活性或具有完全不同的效果。所以，很明显，我们需要能够制造单手性的分子，这样我们就知道一种特定的生物反应是由一种特定的已知化合物引起的。该项目将关注这一化学领域的发展，并将其理解和适用性超越今天的水平。目前，有机催化反应的范围有限，这项研究旨在为化学家的工具箱引入一系列新的反应。最终，这项研究将调查和建立新的化学领域，这可以帮助制药和农用化学品等行业建立药物和生物活性化合物的有效合成，对环境或现有的危害较小，但世界上的金属供应正在减少。