Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SusIsocyanide (A New Light on Isocyanide Synthesis)
Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-31
Isocyanides are highly versatile building blocks in organic chemistry, with significant applications in material science and the pharmaceutical industry. Many isocyanide-containing molecules, such as xanthocillin and stilbene isocyanides, exhibit potent antibacterial, antifungal, and antimalarial properties. However, the commercial availability of isocyanides remains constrained by the absence of efficient and sustainable catalytic methods for their large-scale production. This limitation creates a bottleneck in meeting the growing demand for these valuable compounds.
The SusIsocyanide project addresses this pressing need by pioneering new methodologies for the scalable and eco-friendly synthesis of isocyanides. Central to this effort is the use of photoflow reactors, which harness visible light as a renewable energy source. By integrating bio-based scaffolds, the project aims to achieve enhanced efficiency and sustainability in isocyanide production.
The project's outcomes are expected to have a transformative impact on both scientific innovation and societal needs. By utilizing non-toxic chemicals and renewable resources, SusIsocyanide seeks to minimize environmental impact, enable cost-effective large-scale production, and enhance the accessibility of isocyanides. These advances will support their broader application across industries, offering significant benefits in healthcare, materials development, and beyond.
The SusIsocyanide project addresses this pressing need by pioneering new methodologies for the scalable and eco-friendly synthesis of isocyanides. Central to this effort is the use of photoflow reactors, which harness visible light as a renewable energy source. By integrating bio-based scaffolds, the project aims to achieve enhanced efficiency and sustainability in isocyanide production.
The project's outcomes are expected to have a transformative impact on both scientific innovation and societal needs. By utilizing non-toxic chemicals and renewable resources, SusIsocyanide seeks to minimize environmental impact, enable cost-effective large-scale production, and enhance the accessibility of isocyanides. These advances will support their broader application across industries, offering significant benefits in healthcare, materials development, and beyond.
During the SusIsocyanide project, I explored multiple research directions, uncovering key insights that will shape the future of isocyanide chemistry. The primary objective was to develop sustainable methodologies for synthesizing isocyanides using biomass and visible light. Despite initial setbacks, I successfully achieved the synthesis of isocyanides, though the reaction efficiency remained low.
A breakthrough discovery emerged during this work: aromatic isocyanides were found to form aggregates under light irradiation, enabling absorption in the visible region. These aggregates undergo charge transfer, generating imidoyl radical anions, which can facilitate single electron transfer or hydrogen atom transfer reactions. This mechanism opens pathways to a diverse array of valuable scaffolds for medicinal and polymer chemistry.
In addition, in collaboration with the polymer research group at AMIBM, we demonstrated a novel application of isocyanides in the synthesis of polyester-amides. This work resulted in the development of sequence-controlled polyester-amides, promising materials with potential as environmentally friendly washing additives.
A breakthrough discovery emerged during this work: aromatic isocyanides were found to form aggregates under light irradiation, enabling absorption in the visible region. These aggregates undergo charge transfer, generating imidoyl radical anions, which can facilitate single electron transfer or hydrogen atom transfer reactions. This mechanism opens pathways to a diverse array of valuable scaffolds for medicinal and polymer chemistry.
In addition, in collaboration with the polymer research group at AMIBM, we demonstrated a novel application of isocyanides in the synthesis of polyester-amides. This work resulted in the development of sequence-controlled polyester-amides, promising materials with potential as environmentally friendly washing additives.
This project revealed the aggregation-based properties and photophysical behavior of the isocyano group, opening new avenues for research in both synthetic chemistry and photonics. These findings hold potential for developing materials for OLEDs and DSSCs.
Additionally, the project introduced an efficient and eco-friendly method for synthesizing valuable chemical scaffolds, including spiroindolenines, thioformamides, and amidines, thereby making previously challenging compounds more accessible. These advancements open avenues for further research and broader applications across multiple fields. Notably, amidine and spiroindolenine scaffolds will be screened for biological activity in collaboration with a medicinal chemistry research group.
Additionally, the project introduced an efficient and eco-friendly method for synthesizing valuable chemical scaffolds, including spiroindolenines, thioformamides, and amidines, thereby making previously challenging compounds more accessible. These advancements open avenues for further research and broader applications across multiple fields. Notably, amidine and spiroindolenine scaffolds will be screened for biological activity in collaboration with a medicinal chemistry research group.