Relevant characteristics of the research group (description of the group's activity):
The group has been working for more than 20 years in the development of new reactions catalysed by transition metals and in biomolecules' tridimensional structures studies.
The synthetic methodolofy that we develop is applied to the synthesis of drug and molecules of interest. In particular, the three main lines of research are:
- Cycloaddition and carbonylation reactions in a flow reactor.
- New reactivity of cyclopropenes.
- Synthesis of carbohydrates with paramagnetic centres for NMR studies.
The first part consists of developing new synthetic methodology in flow reactors, taking advantage of the safety benefits and the possibility of intensifying the conditions of flow processes to reactions such as the Pauson-Khand reaction (RPK), [2+2+2], cyclotrimerisations, insertion processes in C-H bonds and desulphurisations. With this methodology we have described new drug syntheses such as treprostinil and in the future we will tackle others.
The second part of the project consists of studying the behaviour of substrates containing cyclopropenes against ruthenium catalysts.
Finally, the third part consists of the synthesis of new carbohydrate derivatives with units capable of chelating lanthanides (LBTs) so that their paramagnetic effects in NMR can be used in conformational and protein receptor interaction studies. This part is carried out in collaboration with different groups (BIOGUNE, CIB). We are also working on the study of the norovirus infection process of epithelial cells in collaboration with a group from the University of Lübeck.
So far, more than 10 PhD theses and numerous End of Year projects (Bachelor's and Master's Degree) have been developed in the group. The scientific output is of high quality with more than 50 papers in Q1 journals.
Contact: [email protected]