Advances in C–H Functionalisation: New Catalytic Strategies for Chemical Synthesis

Title: Advances in C–H Functionalisation: New Catalytic Strategies for Chemical Synthesis

Speaker: Dr Daniel Priebbenow, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Abstract: The ability to selectively functionalise C-H bonds can streamline molecular syntheis by enabling the direct transformation of simple chmical building blocks into more complex molecules. Catalysts based on Group-9 transition metals (including cyclopentadienyl-drived cobalt, rjodium, and iridium complexes) provide a versatile platorm for the achieving diverse C-H functionalisation reactions. This presentation will describe the development of new catalytic systems based on Group-9 metal complexes that enable the formation of both C-C and C-N bonds via C-H functionalisation pathways. These studies encompass the design and evalulation of the ligand systems that can enhance both reactivity and selectivity in a variety of synthetic transformations. 

Bio: Dr Dan Priebbenow completed his PhD in Organic Chemistry at Deakin University, followed by postdoc positions at RWTH Aachen University in Germany (as an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow) then at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Monash University). In 2020, Dan began his independent career as an ARC DECRA Fellow at the University of Melbourne, then in 2022, Dan returned to the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences where he is currently a Senior Lecturer in Chemistry. He has received the RACI Athel Beckwith Medal (2022) and the RACI Organometallic Award (2025). His group's current research spans fundamental reaction discovery through to applications in medicinal chemistry and chemical biology, with an emphasis on developing catalytic systems for the synthesis of functional small molecules.