Project description
Enhancing understanding of a key intermediate in organocatalysis
N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are the most versatile class of organocatalysts, allowing access to a variety of catalytic intermediates for constructing complex targets from simple starting materials. Despite advances in the field, the reason why product distributions of NHC-catalysed processes often differ dramatically is still poorly understood. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the NHC2Breslow project aims to improve mechanistic understanding of the Breslow intermediate; first characterised in 2012, its reactivity is key to a multitude of synthetic transformations. Therefore, it is regarded as the cornerstone of modern NHC-mediated catalysis.
Objective
N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are the most versatile class of organocatalyst, allowing access to a variety of catalytic intermediates for the construction of complex targets from simple starting materials under mild conditions. Despite many individual conceptual advances in this field, it is not understood (or even commonly acknowledged by practitioners) why product distributions of NHC-catalysed processes often differ dramatically with catalyst scaffold or with subtle substituent variation within an NHC-catalyst family. Following the many synthetic innovations over the past decade, future transformative benefits will rely on the careful, quantitative and detailed analysis and understanding of all aspects of reactions mechanisms in order to make informed choice of catalyst for a given transformation, rather then relying on brute force screening. To break from this traditional, time-intensive screening approach and fully realize the potential of NHCs, a quantitative mechanistic understanding is required. Central to this state-of-the-art field is the catalytically competent “Breslow intermediate” (BI) that is regarded as the cornerstone of modern NHC-mediated catalysis. First characterised in 2012, its reactivity is key to a multitude of synthetic transformations. Despite its importance, a quantitative understanding of the behaviour of this transiently formed species has yet to be defined. This proposal will deliver quantitative underpinning knowledge of this key intermediate that will (i) be used to develop a fundamental scale to quantify BI reactivity with a range of electrophilic species and (ii) be applied to answer unresolved mechanistic and chemoselectivity questions in contemporary NHC-based catalysis.
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 organic chemistry heterocyclic compounds
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis
You need to log in or register to use this function
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.
-
H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme -
H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
See all projects funded under this programme
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.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
KY16 9AJ ST ANDREWS
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.