Bebhinn Tully-Pennon

• MChem (Hons) in Medicinal Chemistry
• Air-Stable Primary Phosphines: Safer Routes to Industrially-Significant Chiral Catalysts

Chiral phosphines, such as DuPhos, have proven extremely valuable in asymmetric catalysis. For instance the drug Warfarin is prepared by a rhodium-DuPhos mediated catalytic hydrogenation. One serious drawback is that the precursor to DuPhos is a noxious, toxic, highly air-sensitive compound which requires special handling.

Here we propose to use an air-stable, safe precursor, and evaluate if the DuPhos-like derivative is as effective in the same asymmetric hydrogenation. We will also prepare a second novel derivative, based on the same precursor but this time developed into a chiral diphosphonite ligand, which is expected to have very different electronic properties.

Project Supervisor: Dr Lee Higham, School of Chemistry

Funding Source: Newcastle University