Main Research Areas: Organic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry Photochemistry
PI: Maurizio Fagnoni, Stefano Protti, Davide Ravelli
ERC Sectors: PE5_13 Homogeneous catalysis, PE5_17 Organic chemistry, PE4_15 Photochemistry
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1. Photocatalyzed reactions.
In recent years, photocatalysis applied to organic synthesis has experienced an impressive development, providing synthetic chemists with a highly versatile toolbox in accordance with the key principles of Green Chemistry. Photocatalyzed processes require the combined use of a light source and a catalyst, capable of absorbing light and thus activating the chosen substrates (possibly deriving from biomass). As a result, highly reactive intermediates (radicals and / or radical-ions) can be generated under extremely mild conditions, which allow the realization of highly efficient processes.
2. Photoinduced reactions by visible light.
The use of visible and solar light as a renewable and economical energy source offers an important opportunity for the development of sustainable synthetic protocols. However, many organic compounds are colorless and only absorb in the UV region of the light spectrum. The alternative proposed by our group involves the adoption of reagents containing a "dyedauxiliary" group, capable of imparting at the same time color and reactivity to the substrate. Through this approach, it is possible to optimize C–C and C–heteroatom bond formation processes in the absence of any catalyst.
3. Photochemical processes in flow.
The use of photochemical processes for industrial applications is rather limited at present and these reactions are unlikely to express their full synthetic potential for productive purposes. The use of flow conditions represents the election choice in the development of processes suitable for large-scale production, allowing the conversion of widely available compounds (including those from renewable raw materials) in high added-value products on the gram scale.
4. Photogeneration of intermediates with potential chemotherapeutic activity.
A chemotherapy agent must be aggressive enough to kill cancer cells, but inactive against healthy ones. Some compounds with chemotherapeutic activity are capable of generating aggressive (bi)radicals and of extracting hydrogen atoms from deoxyribose residues in the DNA, ultimately causing oxidative damage to the DNA with consequent cell death. Thanks to the use of light, it is possible to convert in a very mild way stable and non-toxic aromatic derivatives into reactive (bi)radicals with potential biological applicability.
5. Development of non-ionic PhotoAcid Generators (PAGs).
A PhotoAcid Generator is a compound that releases an acid (organic or inorganic) upon absorption of light. These compounds can be very useful in synthesis or microelectronics. The ionic derivatives currently used as PAGs show solubility problems in the polymeric matrices of photoresists. Therefore, new compounds (non-ionic in nature) are currently investigated, capable of releasing acids of different strengths upon irradiation with UV or visible light.
Prof. Sergio Bonesi, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Prof.ssa Geraldine Masson, Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles - ICSN-CNRS (Francia)
Prof. Timothy Nöel, University of Amsterdam (Olanda)
Prof.ssa Fylaktakidou, Konstantina - Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Grecia)
Prof. Till Opatz, University of Mainz (Germania)
Prof. Jean Pinson, Université Paris Diderot (Francia)
Prof. Di Qiu and Prof.sa Xia Zhao, Tianjin Normal University (Cina)
Prof. Maurizio Selva, Università Ca Foscari, Venezia
Prof. Alessandro Palmieri, Università di Camerino
Prof. Marco Bandini, Università di Bologna
Prof. Giovanni Maestri, Università di Parma
Prof. Andrea Basso, Università di Genova
Prof. Ferdinando Auricchio, Università di Pavia
Cerbios-Pharma SA, Lugano (Svizzera)
- H2020-MSCA-ITN-2020: Photocatalysis as a tool for synthetic organic chemistry (PhotoReAct)”(Innovative Training Networks (ITN).
- CARIPLO ECONOMIA CIRCOLARE 2021: Photo- and Mechano- Chemistry for the Upgrading of Agro- and Sea-food Waste to advanced polymers and nanocarbon materials (CUBWAM)
- PRIN 2020: Combined Electrochemical and Light-Driven Processes for the Sustainable Synthesis of Added-Value Molecules (ELECTROLIGHT)
- PATHFINDEROPEN 2021: Reaction robot with intimate photocatalytic and separation functions in a 3-D network driven by artificial intelligence (CATART)
Direct Photocatalyzed Hydrogen Atom Transfer (HAT) for Aliphatic C–H Bonds Elaboration.
Capaldo, L.; Ravelli, D.; Fagnoni, M.
Chem. Rev. 2022, 121, 1875-1924.
Bio-based crotonic acid from polyhydroxybutyrate: synthesis and photocatalyzed hydroacylation.
Parodi, A.; Jorea, A.; Fagnoni, M.; Ravelli, D.; Samorì, C.; Torri, C.; Galletti, P.
Green Chem. 2021, 23, 3420-3427.
Dyedauxiliary groups, an emerging approach in organic chemistry. The case of arylazo sulfones.
Qiu, D.; Lian, C.; Mao, J.; Fagnoni, M.; Protti, S.
J. Org. Chem. 2020, 85, 12813-12822.
Visible Light-Driven, Gold(I) Catalyzed Preparation of Symmetrical (Hetero)biaryls by Homocoupling of Arylazo Sulfones.
L. Di Terlizzi, S. Scaringi, C. Raviola, R. Pedrazzani, M. Bandini, M. Fagnoni, S. Protti,
J. Org. Chem. 2022, 87, 4863-4872.
Designing Radical Chemistry by Visible-Light Promoted Homolysis.
S. Protti, D. Ravelli, M. Fagnoni,
Trends Chem. 2022, 3, 305-317.