Chemistry for tomorrow’s world A roadmap for the chemical sciences Dr Anne Horan Royal Society of Chemistry

Synthesis Grand Challenge “Synthesis is achieved by performing chemical transformations, some of which are known and some of which must be invented” The National Academies Press, 2003 Synthetic Chemistry

Transformative Reactions - Suzuki Cross Coupling  First published in 1979  2010 Nobel Prize with Heck, Negishi  Used by synthetic chemists in the formation of carbon carbon bonds

Realising Impact – Abiraterone  Cross coupling led to synthesis a Steroidal compound - inhibitor of CYP17  Treatment for aggressive prostate cancer – prodrug Abiraterone Acetate (FDA approval 2011)  Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK (Globally, 258,000 men died of prostate cancer in 2008) G. A.Potterm; S E Barrie; M. Jarman and M.G. Rowlands; J. Med. Chem. 1995,38,

Transformative Reactions – Sharpless Asymmetric Epoxidation  First discovered in1980  2001 Nobel Prize with Knowles and Noyori  Facilitating asymmetric synthesis of complex products with structural diversity  Powerful and versatile tool  Synthetic intermediates - Erythromycin (macrolide antibiotic) and Leukotriene C-1

An opportunity to collaborate RSC Organic Division  Raise Awareness of the importance and value of organic chemistry  Highlight a list of potential new reactions that would be transformative  Article on the Organic Division webpage on rsc.org Dial-a molecule  A step change in molecular synthesis “Many desirable chemical reactions have yet to be discovered”  Promote DAM on rsc.org

Organic Chemists Contributing to the Development of Photovoltaics  Advantage OPVs - low cost, light-weight and flexible  Cost-effective alternative to inorganic-based PV  Palladium-catalysed coupling (Stille) to generate diketopyrrolopyrrole-based copolymer  Leading to better understanding between molecular structure, electronic structure, PV properties, materials microstructure Durrant, McCulloch et al, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133,

An opportunity to collaborate RSC Organic Division  Raise Awareness of the importance and value of organic chemistry  Highlight a list of potential new reactions that would be transformative  Article on the Organic Division webpage on rsc.org Dial-a molecule  A step change in molecular synthesis “Many desirable chemical reactions have yet to be discovered”  Promote DAM on rsc.org

A list of yet to be invented transformations that would be worthy of a Nobel prize: Suggested Criteria……  unimaginable via existing technology (surprising)  access to structures of socio-economic importance (Impact)  platform for expanding our understanding of synthetic chemistry transformations/mechanism (science-driven) “Contribution was the discovery of a new synthesis method” Professor Akira Suzuki, The Chemistry Centre London, 2012

Wouldn’t it be nice if…………..  Reductive conversion of a secondary alcohol into a carbon nucleophile with retention of configuration (DAM)  Oxidative coupling of unfunctionalised sp 3 -hybridised carbon atoms (DAM)  Exchange C for N in a cyclic molecules (e.g. benzene to pyridine)  Catalytic reduction of CO 2 on an industrial scale