Organic molecules are ubiquitous in modern society, being found in life-saving medications, cutting-edge materials and everyday consumer products. Thus, a critical goal in organic chemistry is to develop new synthetic strategies to accelerate the exploration of undiscovered chemical species and aid the discovery of new pharmaceuticals and materials. Furthermore, with current societal demands, we must also consider the environmental impact of organic synthesis. Catalysis plays a central role in addressing both of these challenges by enabling new synthetic transformations and reducing the ecological footprint of chemical synthesis. In the Bhawal Lab, we take inspiration from a variety of branches of synthetic chemistry, including organic, supramolecular and inorganic chemistry, to develop new concepts for catalysis.
A key theme of our research is to develop new strategies to rapidly access large and diverse libraries of catalysts. This is a critical goal as catalyst structure plays an instrumental role in the outcome of a reaction; a small change in catalyst structure can lead to drastically impaired selectivity or even completely inhibit the efficacy of the catalyst. We are using an innovative catalyst design strategy through which our catalysts are prepared in facile and short synthetic sequences (<4 steps) and can be easily modified to access a range of analogues enabling exploration of an extensive range of catalyst structures. To evaluate our library of catalysts, we are using high-throughput experimentation technologies that automate a rapid and systematic screening process. Currently, we are using this approach to develop novel bimetallic catalysts for cross-coupling and ligands for C–H functionalisation.
If you are interested to join our group or to learn more about our chemistry, please contact Dr Bhawal (ben.bhawal@ed.ac.uk) and view our opportunities page.
Current collaborations
Dr Jennifer Garden (University of Edinburgh)