Project description
Sustainable catalytic strategies to produce enantiomerically pure molecules
Rapid and large-scale production of enantiomerically pure molecules and compounds is a significant challenge, as impurity impacts production costs, waste, time and potentially even safety. It is thus of utmost importance in the manufacture of functionalised molecules for pharmaceutical and other applications. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the TECHNOTRAIN project is training a new cohort of researchers to develop general yet robust stereoselective catalytic synthetic methods with a focus on the production of chiral pharmaceutically active ingredients or immediate precursors. The team will combine organocatalytic (metal-free) strategies with environmentally friendly technologies.
Objective
The main aim of “TECHNOTRAIN” proposal (Enabling TECHNOlogies-driven chemistry: a tailored TRAINing research program for batch and flow synthesis of chiral amino derivatives) is to create a training platform for young European researchers, based on the creativity, flexibility and accuracy characteristic of an academic working environment, but with an industrial focus.
“TECHNOTRAIN” has the specific objective to develop general, reproducible and also profitable, stereoselective, catalytic synthetic methods applicable for industrial production of enantiomerically pure, functionalized amino derivatives featuring a quaternary stereocenter. Target molecules will be chiral pharmaceutically active ingredients, or immediate precursors, including nonproteogenic alfa-disubstituted-amino acids.
The aim is both to synthesize specific target molecules and to develop highly efficient, technology-driven methodologies. Continuous flow processes will be considered, to perform a fast screening of the reaction conditions, and then, with the optimized conditions in hand, to scale up the reaction (by scaling-out or numbering up or scaling-up).
The combination of two modern, catalytic strategies (photocatalysis and organocatalysis) with safe and environmental friendly technologies (including the use of 3D-printed devices) is a key step towards the development of a more efficient and sustainable chemistry, in line with the Europe strategy. A future generation of scientists will be trained to face the challenges imposed by the transfer the new, green technologies into industrial processes.
Another primary objective of “TECHNOTRAIN” is to develop a modern training model for young European researchers, where education is realized through research and a strong interaction between public and private sector. The project wishes to be truly a prototype of an efficient European research training structure aimed at growing young researchers capable of interacting with the private sector research.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
Coordinator
20122 Milano
Italy