Project description
Light-driven strategies for sustainable carbon-carbon bond formation
Conventional methods for constructing complex organic molecules often rely on toxic reagents and produce significant waste. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the POLARCROSS project is developing light-activated photocatalytic systems that enable efficient carbon-carbon bond formation from simple, abundant feedstock materials. Central to the approach is a novel catalyst that, upon photoexcitation, becomes both strongly acidic and strongly reducing. This is ideal for triggering radical-based transformations. This property allows for the generation of fully substituted carbon centres, key components in many bioactive natural products, with water as the sole by-product. The work could reshape synthetic strategies in organic chemistry, offering a more sustainable route to valuable compounds of pharmaceutical and industrial relevance.
Objective
This fellowship project aims to establish a new suite of photocatalytic reductive coupling methodologies using feedstock starting materials that will allow the efficient synthesis of important value-added compounds. Key to this proposal is the design and development of a reductive photocatalytic system comprising a suitable organic reductant and a photocatalyst that upon photoexcitation becomes simultaneously strongly Brønsted acidic and strongly reducing. Under appropriate reaction conditions the novel photon-controlled acidity would catalyse alcohol dehydration and concomitant single electron transfer (SET) to the arising carbocation would generate the free-radical capable of undergoing a broad range of synthetically useful intermolecular and intramolecular carbon-carbon bond forming processes The chemistry is particularly suited for generating fully substituted carbon atoms in a process where only water is the by-product. Based on these results, a new strategy for the synthesis of bioactive complex (alkaloid) natural products will also be developed. We anticipate that further advancement of these findings will revolutionize the synthesis of complex bioactive molecules using feedstock starting materials, and more broadly influence the way chemists design and access such intricate motifs.
The POLARCROSS fellowship offers a high-quality and cutting-edge research platform that will enhance the state-of-the-art in European Commission funded research and will complement Dr. Wang's existing skills set. This fellowship will serve as a catalyst for enhancing the competencies needed to realize his career aspiration of securing an academic position at a top-tier institution and embarking on an independent research journey. Furthermore, it will nurture him into a seasoned, versatile researcher equipped with the diverse skill set required for the advancement of science and the betterment of society.
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 catalysis photocatalysis
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry alcohols
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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.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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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) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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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.
OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom
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.