Katalyse für die organische Chemie

Prof. Dr. Olga García Mancheño

In our research department (RD) we aim at developing innovative, efficient and sustainable catalytic methods for the activation and synthesis of organic molecules.

The development of sustainable chemical processes is one of the most important features in modern organic synthetic chemistry. It has become a worldwide key research area to provide solutions to important societal demands. Among the relevant methods devoted to achieve efficient syntheses, catalysis represents a key and central approach. More efficient catalysis will not only contribute to lower energy consumption, but also allow us to optimize the use of our natural resources, minimize the environmental impact by generation of less unnecessary chemical waste, and move towards a sustainable society. With this motivation, remarkable advances have been made in the fields in the past years. However, there is a continuous demand for new, more general and efficient methodologies to overcome unsolved synthetic challenges.

To tackle some of these challenges and long-standing synthetic issues, we are targeting to

1) design non-covalent interactions in catalysis to introduce new bonds and stereocenters in organic molecules

2) provide strategies for the site-selective (late-stage) functionalization of (complex, drug-like) organic molecules 

3) develop new methodologies for molecule target-oriented synthesis of versatile building blocks and bioactive probes

4) use photocatalysis for molecule activation, as well as innovative disconnections and bond forming reactions under selective, mild conditions

The current research in the department focuses on “novel catalysts design”, “site-selective functionalization reactions”, “industrial relevant hydroformylation processes” and “small-molecule (CO2) activation”, for which different catalytic technologies including metal-catalysis, homogeneous and heterogeneous photocatalysis, and supramolecular (asymmetric) catalysis are employed.