Our research

Our current research areas
Our research group is interested in developing novel reactions, and applying known reactions in a novel manner to reduce the complexity inherent in natural product synthesis.

Strigolactone chemistry: Food security is an increasingly important issue. To increase crop-yields, one branch of current agrichemical research is centred on the development of plant growth promoters. We have a research program to generate the naturally occurring phytohormones called strigolactones, which hold great potential in this endeavour. We use a range of catalytic techniques to generate these molecules as single enantiomers.

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Additionally, we target strigolactones analogues and mimics.

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Radical chemistry: As the smallest reactive unit, unpaired electrons (radicals) allow some bond-forming reactions to occur that would otherwise be difficult.

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We have a program to generate radicals in a chemoselective and energy efficient manner for the streamlined synthesis of important targets.

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Expanding the scope of the Stetter reaction:

The 'umpolung' addition of aldehydes onto unsaturated carbonyl compounds is an under-utilised method for carbon-carbon bond construction. We are investigating variants of this reaction that allow for the rapid construction of fused-ring systems from simple starting materials. We are also exploring the ability of the Stetter reaction to install new stereocentres under substrate control.

Fused cyclic ether synthesis: The classical Stetter reaction can be used to generated the trans, syn, transstereochemical arrangement seen in naturally occurring polycyclic ethers.

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Stetter reactions with 1,6-acceptors: by using 'extended' Michael acceptors in the Stetter reaction, products with increased synthetic potential can easily be generated. The reaction can be conducted in an asymmetric fashion.

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Completed targets: Below are some of the biologically relevant and structurally intriguing molecules that we have synthesised.

completed targets