Research projects

The research activities of our working group are mainly in the field of synthesis and method development. The desire to synthesize a specific, e.g. biologically active or physically interesting compound, is often the reason and motivation for becoming methodologically innovative in the context of this project.
In recent years, the following two important areas of work have developed:

Palladium catalysts allow the highly selective preparation of important polymer precursors such as diphenyl carbonate (polycarbonate) or vinyl (het)aromatics (membranes for fuel cells) as well as the stereoselective synthesis of anti-viral agents.
Transition metal-catalyzed C-C linkage reactions are important reaction types in organic chemistry. We simultaneously stabilize and activate noble metal catalysts by using alternative reaction media such as organic melts and microemulsions in order to make their use interesting for technical applications.
Starting from the biologically highly effective alkaloid epibatidine, we synthesize novel, pharmacologically active substances, e.g. by asymmetric, palladium-catalyzed hydroarylation reactions, through targeted modification of the individual structural units. The aza-, oxa- and thiabicyclic reaction products are of interest as analgesics or for combating Alzheimer's disease.
The design of new hetaryl-based phosphane ligands and of bidentate, asymmetric P,P-, P,N-, As,P- and As,N-ligands based on amino acids, terpenes, ferrocene or biaryl is just as important a prerequisite as the subsequent structural investigation of their transition metal complexes.

Asymmetric Lewis-acidic organoboranes based on axial-chiral biaryl systems have proven to be effective homogeneous catalysts for asymmetric synthesis steps. We are also investigating their use as stereoselective reagents, templates and carbohydrate sensors.
The replacement of a carbon atom by boron in small ring compounds leads to highly reactive, partly antiaromatic compounds, whose structure and stability are calculated and spectroscopically analyzed and whose novel subsequent chemical reactions are investigated. The B,N-push-pull substitution of olefinic and aromatic systems provides initial access to novel chromophoric systems that exhibit pronounced fluorescence properties.