Research at ICT
Palladium Catalysis as Central Theme
Palladium-mediated C–C bond forming technologies are among
the most applied processes in academia and industry. From the
synthesis of simple biaryls to complex synthetic targets this
methodology has been employed successfully. This success can
be attributed mainly to the rapid development of new ligand
systems which in combination with different palladium
precursors have resulted in a drastic improvement in reactivity.
N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) comprise one such class of
highly electron-rich, activating ligand systems that have found
applications as ligands in metal-mediated processes as well as
organocatalytic carbene catalysis in recent years. Consequently,
this field has emerged as a highly useful area for
organic synthesis.
Novel C-C Bond Forming Technologies
C-C bond forming technologies via transition-metal catalyzed processes has undergone a rapid change in the past few decades with the introduction of efficient catalysts exhibiting unique reactivity. Keeping with this theme we are interested in developing catalyst systems that could allow us to explore newer methods for C-C bond formation. This could either be achieved with homogeneous/heterogeneous or nano(colloidal) catalysis.
Fluorescent Nucleosides as Biological Probes
Multifunctional nucleosides, nucleotides or oligonucleotides have proved to be molecules of synthetic and biological importance given their applications as antivirals, anticancer drugs and as fluorescent biological probes. An exponential rise in the synthesis of nucleoside-based therapeutic drugs has been brought about by efficient metal-catalyzed cross-coupling functionalization strategies for both purines and pyrimidines. In particular, palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling processes have contributed immensely to the growth of this field. Amongst others, palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura, Sonogashira and Heck reactions have proved to be powerful tools in the hands of synthetic chemists facilitating greener and sustainable solutions for the modification of such structural motifs.