Iron catalysts for asymmetric cis-dihydroxylation (AD) reactions
Overview
Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Limited (LSCCB) has developed efficient iron catalysts for asymmetric cis-dihydroxylation of alkenes with high product yield and enantioselectivity.
Technical name of innovation
Iron catalysts for asymmetric cis-dihydroxylation (AD) reactions
Commercialisation opportunities
technology licensing agreement
Problem addressed
Asymmetric cis-dihydroxylation (AD) of alkenes is an important reaction in organic synthesis but the commonly used osmium-based catalysts for AD reactions suffer from high toxicity and poor atom economy. With an aim to uncover environmentally benign, cost-effective strategies for AD reactions, LSCCB has developed iron-based catalysts for AD reactions with performance comparable to the osmium-based catalysts.
Innovation
- The use of new chiral ligands endows the iron catalysts with high product yield and enantioselectivity in AD reactions.
Key impact
- These cost-efficient iron catalysts can be prepared on gram-scale.
- The iron-catalysed AD reactions can be conducted on gram-scale without significant decrease in product yield and enantioselectivity
- Effective towards a wide range of alkenes including mono-, di-, and tri-substituted alkenes, as well as electron-deficient alkenes.
- Using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as green oxidant with water (H2O) as the by-product
Application
- Enantioselective synthesis of cis-diol compounds including those which are not accessible by osmium-based catalysts.
Patent
- US patent Application: 18/155,431
- PCT Application: PCT/CN2023/072625
Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology (LSCCB) is an R&D centre funded by Health@InnoHK progamme of Innovation and Technology Commission of HKSAR. Established in 2020, LSCCB is operated with tripartite joint collaboration of The University of Hong Kong, Imperial College London and Peking University. LSCCB aims at integrating chemical and biomedical sciences to develop new molecular medicines and diagnostic tools for the treatment and analysis of human diseases, in particular, cancer. LSCCB currently assembles more than 20 principal investigators for 4 major research programmes including (a) Synthetic Chemistry; (b) Chemical Biology of Natural Products and Chinese Medicine; (c) Metal Anticancer Medicine, Diagnostics and Theranostics; and (d) Multi-Omics and Innovative Analytical Technologies for InnoHealth.
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