Water as A Green Reaction Medium: Realising Its Full Potential

In this project, the student will develop a discovery and development toolkit which can streamline much wider application of micellar catalysis.

This toolkit will consist of: A surfactant knowledge base to support surfactant screening, in the same manner of the ligand maps developed by Opren and Fey, for homogeneous metal catalysis, Critical parameter operational space for micellar catalysis process design, Workup/purification strategies to minimize the amount of organic solvent and aqueous waste.

The toolkit will be demonstrated in case studies, including an API-relevant synthetic steps, in collaboration with AstraZeneca.

The project will build on the uniquely established capability at the iPRD in multiphase reactors, analytical tools and process design. The project is best suited to a student with strong background and interest in synthetic and physical chemistry. No prior knowledge of process design or flow chemistry is required, as training will be provided for these important transferable skills. The student will also benefit from interdisciplinary training and seminar programmes in process chemistry as a member of the Institute of Process Research & Development, Leeds.