Project and Internship

This project aims at discovering catalysts based on abundant and non-toxic alcaline-earth metals to promote imines transfer hydrogenations. Resulting amines are key compounds in many areas (pharmaceutical industry, natural products…). The systems that are efficient in these transformations involve transition metals (e.g. Rh, Ir, Ru, Fe) generally associated with sophisticated and/or toxic ligands. In addition they are often airand moisture-sensitive which limits their large-scale application.
In this context, an easy-to-handle calcium salt able to promote imines reductions under mild conditions was recently discovered in our laboratories. Moreover, the existence of a synergy between the calcium and its counter-anion has been highlighted.

Objectives

The student will :

• explore the scope of this catalyst on imines with various electronic and steric properties ;
• prepare a pharmaceutical target (antifungal amine) via the methodology
• determine the mechanism via an approach combining theory (DFT calculations, CTMM team) and
experimental work (study of the interactions between the Calcium, its counter-anion and substrates with in situ
spectroscopic characterization or isolation of key intermediates, AM2N team).

Skills required

Knowledge in molecular chemistry and/or catalysis are required. The applicant will have to be motivated by the challenge.

Details for application

Thanks to send a resume to A. Ouali armelle.ouali@enscm.fr