Professor Thomas Wirth Project Titles
1. Diazo Compounds In Continuous Flow Technology
Microreactor technology offers many advantages to classical approaches by allowing miniaturisation of structural features up to the micrometer regime. The small physical dimensions of microdevices usually lead to high internal surface-to-volume ratios which are different to large-scale systems. The generation of hazardous intermediates or the handling of potentially dangerous reagents in situ is safe as only small amounts are produced and directly reacted in a closed system. Diazo compounds are of particular interest as they show reactivites (N-H insertion, C-H insertion, O-H insertion, cyclopropanation, ring expansion, ylide formation, cycloaddition reactions) that give access to molecules that are difficult to obtain using alternative synthetic approaches. The potential application of diazo chemistry to pharmaceutical research is unfulfilled at present because of stability and safety issues. Continuous flow technologies promise to unlock this potential.
This project is in collaboration with a company in France. In addition to excellent knowledge in organic chemistry, any interested student must be willing to learn French as the project involves a 6 months placement in France.