Details

Start of the project (MolTag): 01.05.2019

Title of the PhD Thesis: Novel avenues in C-C bond-forming rearrangements, harnessing the power of cationic intermediates

Finishing Date: 29.04.2022

Research topic of the student: Indolizidine are a very important class of alkaloids with numerous biological functions. On the class, swainsonine and castanospermine have been recognised as nicotinic acetylcolin receptor antagonist.  However the synthetic routes to derivatives of these scaffolds require multistep endeavour syntheses. We have envisaged the use of Frustrated Lewis acid catalysts to manipulate the connectivity of a fleeting cyclobutane intermediate to form complex bicyclic structures. This methodology allows three feedstock materials to be converted into drug-like compounds with high increase in complexity and in one step.

Internship abroad: 14.03.2020 - 30.07.2020 at the Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles. Host: Kendall N. Houk. 

The internship aims at expanding the knowledge on the use of theoretical concepts, modelling skills and of computational tools to further the understanding of the methodologies developed during PhD studies.

Due to the Corona Situation in the US the internship was terminated after 4.5 months.

Lab Rotation: Several rotational periods (>8 weeks) in the González lab, 2019 to 2021, training on computational chemistry methods to shed light on a real experimental problem and propose possible explanations of the results obtained in the laboratory

05/2021: Best poster communication award for "Oxidative Umpolung Using Iodine (III) enables the α – Cyclopropanation of Carbonyl Derivatives" at the International School on Organic Synthesis (ISOS 2021)" 

Place after graduation: RA CMC Biologics Associate Manager, Novartis

Link to Publications by Giovanni Di Mauro