Mechanistic design
Use reaction understanding to guide reagent, catalyst and sequence selection.
Research area 01
Synthetic and heterocyclic chemistry
Designing the underlying chemistry, not simply changing the equipment in which it runs.
The group combines mechanistic organic chemistry, inventive route design and practical synthesis to create valuable heterocyclic frameworks and functional molecules. Enabling technology is selected only where it improves the chemistry, control, safety or delivery of the process.
Scientific questions
Questions that shape the work
- 01
How can molecular complexity be assembled with fewer, more selective operations?
- 02
Which ring-forming and functionalisation strategies create differentiated, useful molecular architectures?
- 03
How can challenging intermediates be generated and transformed without compromising selectivity or practicality?
- 04
Where can flow, photochemistry or automation unlock chemistry that is difficult in conventional batch operation?
Established expertise
Demonstrated capabilities
These themes reflect the group’s established scientific record. Availability for a new project depends on scope, collaborators, funding and the practical requirements of the work.
Heterocycle and ring-system constructionCascade and multicomponent transformationsFunctional-group interconversionLate-stage and scaffold functionalisationMedicinally relevant small-molecule synthesisReaction discovery and mechanism-led optimisationMultistep synthesis and route adaptation
Approach
How the problem is addressed
Chemistry, evidence and technology are considered together, with methods selected for scientific value rather than novelty alone.
Scaffold construction
Create saturated, fused and heteroatom-rich architectures with controlled substitution.
Technology-enabled synthesis
Introduce continuous flow, light, pressure or automation when these provide a clear chemical advantage.
Representative applications
Where this expertise can contribute
- Heterocyclic building blocks
- Medicinal chemistry libraries
- Fine-chemical intermediates
- Complex and functional molecular scaffolds
Future research direction
Developing the next programme
Future work will connect synthesis planning, experimentally grounded reaction development and technology selection more tightly, enabling faster evaluation of alternative molecular routes and more decisive progression toward scalable chemistry.
View the future programmeCollaboration opportunity
Discuss a substantive project
Discussions are welcomed around difficult heterocycle construction, constrained route options, medicinally relevant scaffold preparation and technology-enabled synthetic methodology.
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