Tuned Iridium Catalysts to Deliver an Array of Synthetic Efficiency and Selectivity

A fully-funded, industry-linked, PhD Studentship is available in the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, under the collaborative supervision of Professor William J. Kerr and Dr David M. Lindsay. The position is flexible for start dates up until October 2022 and is funded in collaboration with world-leading pharmaceutical company, GSK, for a duration of 3.5 years.

The general interests of the Kerr and Lindsay laboratories cover a broad range of metal-mediated synthetic organic chemistry and, in particular, in the development of new preparative techniques, the creation of asymmetric processes, and the use of these emerging methods in total synthesis programmes.

The available project will specifically expand upon Kerr’s iridium-based catalysts for application in a portfolio of important transformations in organic synthesis and of direct relevance to the pharmaceutical industry. More specifically, Kerr has been heavily involved in the development of new iridium-catalysed methods for C-H activation, including applications in hydrogen isotope exchange, hydrogenation, and C-C, C-O, and C-N bond formation, areas which are now primed to be appreciably extended.

The successful applicant will join an extremely motivated and industrious research team, and will receive elevated levels of training in the areas of preparative chemistry, organometallic-based synthesis, reaction mechanism, computational methods, and the associated analytical/spectroscopic requirements.

Applicants must have, or expect to obtain, a strong MChem (or equivalent) degree as a requirement of the funding. Additionally, the position is well suited to students with significant experience in Synthetic Organic Chemistry obtained either through industrial placement or as part of an MChem/MSci research project.

Please submit your application by e-mail to Dr Laura C. Paterson ([Email Address Removed]), which should include:

• Cover letter, detailing your experience and motivation for PhD studies 
• CV with two referees details included 
• Full transcripts from your undergraduate degree
• Other pertinent information (e.g., publications, awards, and other distinctions)