About the Project
Our group has pioneered the development of extended path-length flow cells for laboratory electrosynthesis and demonstrated their application in a number of synthetic transformations including oxidative C-H functionalisation, alcohol oxidation, selected C-C bond formations, oxidative esterification and amidation, and deprotection reactions. Electrochemistry can replace conventional stoichiometric reagents, which may be toxic, hazardous and expensive, with electrical current, leading to more sustainable syntheses.
The project involves the development and discovery of new electrochemically-mediated synthetic methods, and their application in the synthesis of complex molecules including pharmaceutical intermediates and natural products. Reactions of interest include functional group transformations and carbon-carbon bond formation. The latter will be of particular interest in development of more sustainable routes to complex molecules. For some recent examples of methology in this area see: Green, R. A.; Pletcher, D.; Leach, S. G.; Brown, R. C. D. Org. Lett. 2016, 18, 1198–1201. Green, R. A.; Jolley, K. E.; Al-Hadedi, A. A. M.; Pletcher, D.; Harrowven, D. C.; De Frutos, O.; Mateos, C.; Klauber, D. J.; Rincón, J. A.; Richard C. D. Brown, R. C. D. Org. Lett. 2017, DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.7b00641
This PhD project is part of wider European Regional Development Fund sponsored collaboration, LabFact, that aims to strengthen Cross-Channel academic and industry partnerships in synthetic organic chemistry for the benefit of our region. Its primary aim is to develop clean routes to fine chemicals and useful chemical scaffolds using sustainable techniques that minimise the use of chemical reagents (heat, light, electricity, high pressure etc.).
Funding Notes
The project is funded for 3 years and welcomes applicants from the UK and EU who have or expect to obtain at least an upper second class degree in Chemistry or closely allied subjects. Funding will cover fees and a stipend at current research council rates of £14,553 per annum.
Due to funding restrictions this position is only open to UK/EU applicants
References
Applications for a PhD in Chemistry should be submitted online at https://studentrecords.soton.ac.uk/BNNRPROD/bzsksrch.P_Search
Please ensure you select the academic session 2017-2018 in the academic year field and click on the Research radio button. Enter Chemistry in the search text field.
Please place Prof Brown in the field for proposed supervisor/project
General enquiries should be made to Professor Richard C D Brown at rcb1@soton.ac.uk. Any queries on the application process should be made to pgafnes@soton.ac.uk
Applications will be considered in the order that they are received, and the position will be considered filled when a suitable candidate has been identified
Continue with Facebook
