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Homogeneous Catalysis and Reaction Design

Bill Morandi has accepted the call to ETH Zurich, where he took over the Synthetic Organic Chemistry Department of the Laboratory of Organic Chemistry (D-CHAB) in July 2018. Information about his current research can be found here. This website documents the activities of the group at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung (until 2018).

The “homogeneous catalysis and reaction design” group has a fundamental interest in developing innovative synthetic methodologies for applications across the molecular sciences, with a particular interest in establishing new concepts in catalysis. An interdisciplinary approach drawing from the areas of organic synthesis, organometallic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, medicinal chemistry and inorganic chemistry will be used to rationally design innovative catalytic solutions to major synthetic challenges.

Bill Morandi

Dr. Bill Morandi

Vita Awards Publications Invited Lectures
since July 2014
Founder and leader (W2/Associate Professor without tenure) of the “homogeneous catalysis and reaction design” group, an independent Max Planck Research Group at the Max Planck Institut für Kohlenforschung
2012-2014
Postdoctoral Studies (supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation) in organometallic chemistry at the California Institute of Technology (Prof. Grubbs)
2008-2012
Doctoral Studies (supported by the Stipendienfonds der Schweizerischen Chemischen Industrie (SSCI)) in organic chemistry at the ETH Zurich (Prof. Carreira)
2008
MSc in Biological Chemistry from the ETH Zurich supported by an Oskar-Jeger Scholarship. Master Thesis under the supervision of Prof. Carreira
2006
BSc in Biology from the ETH Zurich
1983
born in Fribourg, Switzerland
2018
Academyprize for Chemistry, Academy of Sciences, Göttingen
2017
Novartis Early Career Award in Organic Chemistry
2017
ERC Starting Grant
2017
ADUC Prize from the German Chemical Society
2016
Ružička Prize from the ETH Zürich
2016
Bayer Early Excellence in Science Award
2016
MS_CEC Young Researcher Award
2016
Chemical & Engineering News´ Talented 12
2016
European Young Chemist Award Special Mention
2016
JSP Fellowship (Bürgenstock Conference)
2015
Thieme Journal Award
2014
Award by the Max Planck Society of a centrally-funded Max Planck Research Group Leader position
2013
ETH Medal (Awarded for an outstanding Ph.D. Thesis)
2013
Selected for participation to the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting 2013 (sponsored by ETHZ/Swiss Re)
2013
Reaxys PhD Prize Finalist
2013
Advanced Postdoc.Mobility Fellowship der Swiss National Science Foundation
2012
DSM Science and Technology Award Southern Europe, 2nd rank
2012
Fellowship for prospective researchers from the Swiss National Science Foundation
2011
Swiss Chemical Society Travel Award
2008
Stipendienfonds der Schweizerischen Chemischen Industrie Scholarship
2006
Oskar-Jeger Scholarship from the ETH Zürich
 

25/09/2017     German-Spanish Symposium, ICIQ, Tarragona
“Catalysis for Introducing, Removing and Shuttling Functional Groups”

07/06/2017     UniCat Cluster (TU Berlin), Berlin
“Catalysis for Introducing, Removing and Shuttling Functional Groups”

09/05/2017     Boehringer Ingelheim, Ingelheim
“Catalysis for Introducing, Removing and Shuttling Functional Groups”

11/04/2017     University of Zürich, Switzerland
“Catalysis for Introducing, Removing and Shuttling Functional Groups”

19/03/2017     9th Workshop on Fats and Oils as Renewable Feedstock for the Chemical Industry, Karlsruhe “Catalysis for Introducing, Removing and Shuttling Functional Groups”

13/01/2017     RWTH Aachen University, Aachen
“Catalysis for Introducing, Removing and Shuttling Functional Groups”

05/12/2016     Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich
“Catalysis for Introducing, Removing and Shuttling Functional Groups”

30/11/2016     (Ružička Prize Ceremony)
ETH Zürich, Switzerland “Catalysis for Introducing, Removing and Shuttling Functional Groups”

07/11/2016     Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg
“Catalysis for Introducing, Removing and Shuttling Functional Groups”

01/11/2016     EPFL, Lausanne
“Catalysis for Introducing, Removing and Shuttling Functional Groups”

13/09/2016     Keynote Lecture
EuCheMS Conference, Sevilla “Catalysis for Introducing, Removing and Shuttling Functional Groups”

22/08/2016     Chemical & Engineering News’ Talented 12 symposium, ACS Meeting Philadelphia “Catalytic Reaction Design”

21/06/2016     Göttinger-Chemie-Forum, Göttingen
“Catalysis for Introducing, Removing and Shuttling Functional Groups”

23/05/2016     Universität Siegen, Siegen
“Design of Selective and Practical Catalytic Reactions for the Molecular Sciences”

02/05/2016     Invited Short Talk
51st EUCHEM Conference on Stereochemistry (Bürgenstock), Brunnen “Catalytic Reversible Alkene-Nitrile Interconversion through Controllable Transfer Hydrocyanation”

22/04/2016     Award Lecture
Münster Symposium on Cooperative Effects in Chemistry, Münster
“Catalytic Reversible Alkene-Nitrile Interconversion through Controllable Transfer Hydrocyanation”

22/03/2016     Chemiedozententagung 2016, Heidelberg
“Catalytic Reversible Alkene-Nitrile Interconversion through Controllable Transfer Hydrocyanation”

04/12/2015     Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Institute Seminar
“Design of Selective and Practical Catalytic Reactions for the Molecular Sciences”

16/10/2015     Technische Universität München, Germany
“Design of Selective and Practical Catalytic Reactions for the Molecular Sciences”

01/07/2014     Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany
“New Solutions to Old Challenges: Safe Catalytic Diazo Chemistry and Selective Wacker-Type Oxidation of Alkenes”

03/02/2014    The Ohio State University, Colombus, OH, USA
“New Solutions to Old Challenges: Safe Catalytic Diazo Chemistry and Selective Wacker-Type Oxidation of Alkenes”

31/01/2014    Max Planck Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
“New Solutions to Old Challenges: Safe Catalytic Diazo Chemistry and Selective Wacker-Type Oxidation of Alkenes”

28/01/2014    Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
“New Solutions to Old Challenges: Safe Catalytic Diazo Chemistry and Selective Wacker-Type Oxidation of Alkenes”

21/01/2014    Max Planck Research Group Selection Symposium, Munich, Germany
“Homogeneous Catalysis: An Enabling Technology across the Molecular Sciences”

15/01/2014    University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
“New Solutions to Old Challenges: Safe Catalytic Diazo Chemistry and Selective Wacker-Type Oxidation of Alkenes”

13/01/2014    University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
“New Solutions to Old Challenges: Safe Catalytic Diazo Chemistry and Selective Wacker-Type Oxidation of Alkenes”

16/12/2013    Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
“New Solutions to Old Challenges: Safe Catalytic Diazo Chemistry and Selective Wacker-Type Oxidation of Alkenes”

05/12/2013    Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
“New Solutions to Old Challenges: Safe Catalytic Diazo Chemistry and Selective Wacker-Type Oxidation of Alkenes”

20/11/2013    Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
“New Solutions to Old Challenges: Safe Catalytic Diazo Chemistry and Selective Wacker-Type Oxidation of Alkenes”

31/10/2013    University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
“New Solutions to Old Challenges: Safe Catalytic Diazo Chemistry and Selective Wacker-Type Oxidation of Internal Alkenes”

18/06/2013    University of Geneva, Switzerland
“New Solutions to Old Challenges: Safe Catalytic Diazo Chemistry and Selective Wacker-Type Oxidation of Internal Alkenes”

18/06/2012    DSM Science and Technology Award Southern Europe, Interlaken
    “Extreme Catalysis”

07/10/2010    Givaudan AG (Dübendorf, Switzerland)
“Carbene-Chemistry under Aqueous Oxidative Conditions with in situ Generated Trifluoromethyl Diazomethane”

22/10/2009    Johnson and Johnson (Cilag AG, Schaffhausen, Switzerland)
“The Triangle Revisited: New Perspectives in Cyclopropane and Cyclopropene Chemistry”
 

Research Topics

Shuttle Catalysis
Shuttle Catalysis

Shuttle Catalysis

Catalytic reversible reactions, such as alkene metathesis and transfer hydrogenation, have had an auspicious impact on the molecular sciences. We are currently developing “shuttle catalysis” reactions that parallel the mechanism of transfer hydrogenation through the reversible transfer of chemical moieties beyond hydrogen, to address synthetically relevant challenges in catalysis and provide new disconnections for synthetic chemists.

Aliphatic C-O Bond Activation
Aliphatic C-O Bond Activation

Aliphatic C-O Bond Activation

The alcohol group is one the most widespread functional groups in organic synthesis. Additionally, alcohols are ubiquitous in renewable feedstocks, such as carbohydrate derivatives. Therefore, methods for the transformation and functionalization of alcohols are in high demand in synthesis. The research area “aliphatic C–O bond activation” targets the development of novel transformations employing alcohol derivatives as starting materials, with a particular emphasis on the selective functionalization of polyol derivatives.

Direct Catalytic Synthesis of Unprotected Amines
Direct Catalytic Synthesis of Unprotected Amines

Direct Catalytic Synthesis of Unprotected Amines

The formation of C–N bonds is one of the major challenges in the preparation of bioactive molecules. The direct catalytic amination of hydrocarbons is an attractive approach to address this challenge and has been the subject of intense research efforts. However, most of the methods developed thus far lead to the installation of a protected form of the versatile primary amine group, requiring additional and often challenging protecting group manipulations. In contrast, the research program “Direct Catalytic Synthesis of Unprotected Amines” circumvents the protecting group limitation by enabling a direct access to the desired primary amine. Besides its synthetic potential, this project also addresses a fundamental challenge in catalysis, namely the synthesis of unprotected functionalized molecules that are prone to deactivating coordination of metal catalysts.

 

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