Preparation and properties of oligo- and polycyclophanes. Materials with advanced optical and electronic properties. This project aims to prepare a novel class of organic and organometallic material that has both theoretical and practical applications. Nanotechnology requires unique arrangements of atoms that can give rise to enhanced macroscopic properties and we have embarked on a project that will provide new oligomers and polymers for the construction of the next generation of optical and el ....Preparation and properties of oligo- and polycyclophanes. Materials with advanced optical and electronic properties. This project aims to prepare a novel class of organic and organometallic material that has both theoretical and practical applications. Nanotechnology requires unique arrangements of atoms that can give rise to enhanced macroscopic properties and we have embarked on a project that will provide new oligomers and polymers for the construction of the next generation of optical and electronic devices.Read moreRead less
New synthetic strategies towards higher order fullerenes. Fullerene or C60 is a novel soccer-ball shaped molecule with many potential applications as new materials and pharmaceutical drugs. This project aims to develop novel methods for the preparation of new fullerene derivatives that will have potential future applications in materials science, medicinal/pharmaceutical chemistry and chemical synthesis.
Asymmetric Synthesis of Bioactive Alkaloids and Analogues via Chiral, Polylfunctionalized-Pyrrolidines. Alkaloids are plant products that have many useful biological and pharmaceutical properties. Many of these compounds have potential as antiviral and anticancer therapeutics. This project aims to develop novel methods of preparing bioactive alkaloids and their structural analogues. These compounds potentially have applications as new potent and less toxic pharmaceutical agents.
A new molecular platform for catalytic synthesis of heterocycles. This project aims to address the lack of efficient methods to prepare cyclic molecules of biological relevance by utilising novel molecular platforms developed in our laboratories. This project expects to generate new cyclic molecules using these innovative molecular platforms by employing catalysts to reduce raw material and energy cost. The expected outcomes of this project include enhanced chemical technology to prepare cyclic ....A new molecular platform for catalytic synthesis of heterocycles. This project aims to address the lack of efficient methods to prepare cyclic molecules of biological relevance by utilising novel molecular platforms developed in our laboratories. This project expects to generate new cyclic molecules using these innovative molecular platforms by employing catalysts to reduce raw material and energy cost. The expected outcomes of this project include enhanced chemical technology to prepare cyclic molecules of pharmaceutical importance and the training of highly skilled PhD students. This should provide significant benefits, such as increased capacity for the development of new pharmaceuticals and advanced materials.Read moreRead less
Development of Pyrrolopyrimidines as Inhibitors of ATP-Binding Proteins. This project seeks to generate analogues of natural products that have been found to be active against cancer cells and tropical parasites. The new materials produced by this project will aid in the study of biochemical processes involved in diseases such as cancer and lymphatic filariasis, thus leading the way to development of these compounds as potential treatments for such diseases.
Sulfur Polymers: A New Class of Dynamic, Responsive & Recyclable Materials. This project aims to establish design principles for the manufacture of polymers made from sulfur, an abundant yet underused building block. These novel materials will be tested as next-generation rubber and plastic. This project expects to generate new knowledge in how these materials can be assembled and recycled, and also how they can be used to extract valuable gold from ore and e-waste. Anticipated outcomes of the p ....Sulfur Polymers: A New Class of Dynamic, Responsive & Recyclable Materials. This project aims to establish design principles for the manufacture of polymers made from sulfur, an abundant yet underused building block. These novel materials will be tested as next-generation rubber and plastic. This project expects to generate new knowledge in how these materials can be assembled and recycled, and also how they can be used to extract valuable gold from ore and e-waste. Anticipated outcomes of the project include access to entirely new materials useful in sustainable plastic manufacturing and sustainable gold extraction. These outcomes should provide significant benefits including functional replacements for non-recyclable plastics and elimination of toxic mercury and cyanide in gold mining and e-waste processing.Read moreRead less
New Discoveries in Organic Synthesis Inspired by the Efficiency of Nature. Nature can assemble complex organic molecules from simple starting materials with apparent ease, but the laboratory synthesis of these natural products is very difficult. This project aims to mimic the way in which Nature constructs organic compounds and thus develop more efficient, greener synthetic processes in which there is a rapid build up of molecular complexity via “biomimetic” reactions. We will integrate this app ....New Discoveries in Organic Synthesis Inspired by the Efficiency of Nature. Nature can assemble complex organic molecules from simple starting materials with apparent ease, but the laboratory synthesis of these natural products is very difficult. This project aims to mimic the way in which Nature constructs organic compounds and thus develop more efficient, greener synthetic processes in which there is a rapid build up of molecular complexity via “biomimetic” reactions. We will integrate this approach with modern methods of catalysis, including electrochemistry, photochemistry and biocatalysis. As a result, this work will expand the chemical space available to synthetic chemists working in the pharmaceutical industry. A further benefit is the training of the next generation of Australian synthetic chemists. Read moreRead less
Anion Binding and Sensing With Self-Assembled Metallo-Supramolecular Assemblies. Anions are of particular significance in several areas relating to the day-to-day lives of Australians; for example as contaminants in waterways and nuclear waste streams, as indicators of chemical weapons, and as antagonists in biological systems. The proposed research programme will investigate a relatively unexplored approach to binding and sensing anions. This will further research in the area of supramolecular ....Anion Binding and Sensing With Self-Assembled Metallo-Supramolecular Assemblies. Anions are of particular significance in several areas relating to the day-to-day lives of Australians; for example as contaminants in waterways and nuclear waste streams, as indicators of chemical weapons, and as antagonists in biological systems. The proposed research programme will investigate a relatively unexplored approach to binding and sensing anions. This will further research in the area of supramolecular chemistry, providing additional research expertise in this rapidly progressing area of the chemical sciences. In terms of Breakthrough science the targeted assemblies will shed further light on self-assembly processes involving ligands with different domains, placing Australian research at the forefront of such investigations.Read moreRead less
New Methodology for the Stereoselective Construction of Oxygen Heterocycles and Rare Sugar Analogues. The overall goal of this research is to develop new synthetic methods, particularly ones that exhibit high levels of stereocontrol. Current research efforts are directed towards the stereoselective construction of oxygen heterocycles and rare sugar analogues both in their racemic and chiral forms utilising 1,2-dioxines containing tethered hydroxyl moieties as the key chemical precursors. It is e ....New Methodology for the Stereoselective Construction of Oxygen Heterocycles and Rare Sugar Analogues. The overall goal of this research is to develop new synthetic methods, particularly ones that exhibit high levels of stereocontrol. Current research efforts are directed towards the stereoselective construction of oxygen heterocycles and rare sugar analogues both in their racemic and chiral forms utilising 1,2-dioxines containing tethered hydroxyl moieties as the key chemical precursors. It is envisaged that these investigations will lead to the development of simple experimental protocols for the synthesis of new bioactive organics.Read moreRead less
Predisposed organic synthesis inspired by the simplicty of nature. The aim of this project is to use the simplicity and efficiency of biosynthesis to inspire the development of new strategies for the synthesis of whole families of related natural products with known antibiotic activity. Natural products with potent antibiotic properties are produced by microorganisms as a means of chemical defence. These complex molecules are biosynthesised from a limited set of simple biosynthetic building bloc ....Predisposed organic synthesis inspired by the simplicty of nature. The aim of this project is to use the simplicity and efficiency of biosynthesis to inspire the development of new strategies for the synthesis of whole families of related natural products with known antibiotic activity. Natural products with potent antibiotic properties are produced by microorganisms as a means of chemical defence. These complex molecules are biosynthesised from a limited set of simple biosynthetic building blocks via predisposed, complexity generating cascade reactions. The project aims to generate new lead compounds for the advancement of next-generation antibiotics. The synthesis of proposed biosynthetic intermediates would also allow enzymatic studies to help confirm the novel biosynthetic proposals.Read moreRead less