Catalytic solutions for the synthesis of molecules big and small

Title:  Catalytic solutions for the synthesis of molecules big and small

Speaker: Dr Joel Hooper, Monash University

Abstract: The synthesis of organic molecules, both big and small, requires efficient processes to access new materials in efficient ways. Catalysis can offer novel methods to deliver new chemical species in economical and sustainable ways. The synthesis of advanced (bio)polymer materials often requires grafting of small molecules or other polymers. This is typically achieved by fuctionalising the substrate with a reactive group prior to polymerisation or functionalisarion, which can extra steps and complexity to the process. In a more ideal approach, grafting would be performed directly from a functional group already present in the starting material, leading to the formation of conjugates via robust C-C bonds in a single functionalisation/polymerisation step. One particularly attractive functional group for polymer grafting is the carboxylic acid, which is ubiquitous across biopolymers (polysaccharides, peptides, proteins ect.), synthetic polymers, medicinally relevant small-molecules and natural products. An approach which allows for the controlled grafting of polymers from carboxylic acids would enable the direct synthesis of polymer conjugates of all these materials, leading to a wealth of opportunities for new polymer conjugates and polymer architectures.

Bio: Joel received training at the University of Melbourne (PhD) and Oxford University (Postdoc) before securing a DECRA funded position at Monash in 2016. Joel is now a Senior Lecturer at Monash Chemistry and a Green Chemistry Platform leader at Bioresource Processing Research Institute of Australia (BioPRIA). He recently also assumed the role of Deputy Director at BioPRIA in 2024. He is a well recognised specialist of Organic Chemistry, Catalysis and Organometallics.