New Approaches to the Synthesis of Complex Fluorinated Molecules

Project ID: 2228cd1359 (You will need this ID for your application)

Under Offer

UCL Lead department: Chemistry

Project Summary:

Fluorinated organic molecules have many applications across medicinal chemistry, agrochemicals, material science and polymer synthesis. This widespread utility is due to the carbon-fluorine bond which is highly polarised, extremely strong, and relatively inert. It imparts useful properties onto an organic molecule, by blocking otherwise reactive sites, altering the polarity, and inducing changes in molecular shape. We are developing a new research programme in our group focused on the development of synthetic methods to prepare previously inaccessible fluorinated compounds. In this project we will develop methods for the preparation of highly reactive fluorinated organic molecules that can be used to generate structurally complex fluorinated frameworks in an efficient manner. In preliminary work, we have developed methods to prepare highly reactive molecules containing a carbon-fluorine bond which undergo a range of reactions with readily available organic compounds to yield structurally complex fluorinated molecules, many of which have never been previously reported. By using a combination of synthetic chemistry, NMR spectroscopy, and DFT calculations we have been able to identify and characterise these unusual reaction products and begin to understand the unusual reaction pathways involved in their formation. In this project, we will explore the scope of the reactions we have discovered to date, as well as uncovering further new reactivity guided by the understanding obtained from the computational work. We envisage that this will provide access to a wide range of previously inaccessible fluorinated organic molecules with a plethora of potential applications. The student should have a chemistry degree and a strong interest in organic chemistry. They will develop advanced skills in synthetic techniques, as well as having the opportunity to learn to run DFT calculations to model and understand the novel reaction pathways.