Eleni Papaplioura
eleni.papaplioura@tuwien.ac.at
Supervisor: Marko Mihovilovic, Technical University of Vienna
Details
Start of the project: 04.11.2019
Finishing date: 13.09.2024
Title of the project: Sustainable and safe C-H activation for large-scale production.
Research topic of the student: The overall goal of this project is to develop a protocol for direct alkylation using quaternary ammonium salts under base-free conditions (reaction conditions effective in absence of base, or design of reactors allowing spatial separation), as well as to design methylation reactions using, amongst others, non-toxic tetramethylammonium salts as a solid precursor of CH3 group. In order to elucidate the mechanism we will collaborate for computational support with the RWTH Aachen. Last but not least, we aim to apply the method for isotope labeling (in particular 14C) of pharmaceutically relevant compounds.
More specifically, we will focus on further improving the alkylation reactions using quaternary ammonium salts previously published in the group. In particular, basic conditions required for such transformation constitute an important drawback to be overcome (development of a protocol efficient under neutral conditions, spatial separation between different compartments of a reactor).We will also develop high yielding methylation reactions using, for example, tetramethyl-ammonium bromide as a solid precursor where initial results are promising and literature precedence with related reagents is available. To illustrate the industrial perspectives of this project, will move to Boehringer Ingelheim Vienna, to perform methylation on pharmaceutically relevant molecules. In parallel, the potential of C-H isotope labelling (introduction of 14C motifs) using N-14CH3-pyridinium salts will be explored.
Lab Rotation: "Direct Amination of Amides via [2,3]-Sigmatropic Rearrangement"; 01.04.2022 - 15.04.2022
Lab host: Nuno Maulide, University of Vienna
Internship abroad (industrial secondment) at Janssen Pharma, Beerse, BEL, 15.10.2022-31.01.2022
provided by CHAIR ITN program.
Eleni Papaplioura received a Fellowship by the OeAD and is currently funded as Early Stage researcher by CHAIR, a 4-year EU-funded collaborative doctoral research programme.