Project description
Efficient and sustainable chemical synthesis with bis(carbene) analogues of aluminium and gallium
Current synthetic methods in molecular chemistry often rely on expensive noble metals or suffer from mismatching molecular orbitals, resulting in the production of waste and unwanted by-products. There are also safety concerns over reagent toxicity and the production of hazardous waste. The ERC-funded AGILE project aims to address these issues by developing novel sustainable synthetic methods for splitting and forming chemical bonds as well as for redox catalysis with a single system. To do so, it proposes the use of bis(carbene) analogues of aluminium and gallium whose unique frontier molecular orbitals will provide reversible reactivity. This allows for better control and modulation of reaction processes, leading to atom-economical pathways, waste reduction, cost-effectiveness and lower environmental impact.
Objective
Molecular chemistry impacts on a wide range of transformational activities that the society relies on and thus plays a key role in addressing the societal challenges facing the European Union in the 21st century. Current synthetic methods commonly depend on rare and costly precious metals or face obstacles stemming from mismatching molecular orbitals, which necessitates atom-inefficient synthetic pathways. Hence, research on the utilisation of abundant and environmentally benign elements in synthesis and catalysis and the exploration of alternative activation and functionalisation strategies is urgently required.
AGILE addresses these challenges by establishing new methods for breaking and making chemical bonds and for redox-catalysis with a single system, i.e. homo- and heterobimetallic bis(carbene) analogues of aluminium and gallium, which will be utilised as the next generation of selective reagents, high performing catalysts, and valuable ligands.
AGILE will develop novel, reactive compounds that combine the benefits of derivatives in highly reactive oxidation states with the cooperativity of dinuclear Al and Ga complexes that are cheap, environmentally benign, and non-toxic. Equipped with unique frontier molecular orbitals, they will provide the reversible reactivity crucially required to unlock a wide range of elemental steps. By merging two one-electron processes, AGILE will overcome the limitations of monometallic two-electron reactions, thereby enabling redox-catalysis by main-group bimetallics. Finally, AGILE will use prototypical Lewis-acids as very strong electron donors to promote redox-catalysis with abundant first-row transition metals. In-depth kinetic, spectroscopic, and computational insight will help us achieve these challenging objectives.
By providing new catalysts and expanding the scope of challenging chemical transformations, AGILE will significantly contribute to the development of main-group chemistry and more sustainable synthetic methods.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences electrochemistry electrolysis
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry post-transition metals
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
09111 Chemnitz
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.