Projects

The consortium provides support for projects at Imperial, selected by a steering group of representatives from the industrial members. Regular meetings of all participants are planned to exchange information and ideas and discuss the latest results on the supported projects.

The list of projects that have received funding so far:

1. Electrochemical reduction of amides in pharmaceutical processes (Hii, Hellgardt, Kelsall): Kathryn Rix, PhD student (2009-2013), industrial sponsor: Pfizer
2. Elucidating and removal of Pd from reaction streams (Hii, Livingston): Support for EPSRC-funded ELSEP project (see below).
3. Effects of additives in proline-catalysed reactions (Blackmond, Armstrong): Dr. Natalia Zotova
4. Purchase of Exigent HPLC system (Blackmond)
5. Transiently immobilised NHCs (Fuchter, Kogelbauer, Lickiss): Fu-Howe Lee, PhD student (2010-2014). Industrial sponsor: AstraZeneca.
6. Catalytic flow chemistry: synthesis of amides from primary alcohols (Hii, Hellgardt): Felicity Roberts (2010-2015). Industrial sponsor: Syngenta.
7. DKR and membrane reactor/flow technology (Spivey and Livingston). Zsofia Heckenast, PhD student (2012-2016).  Industrial sponsor: Eli Lilly.
8. Cu-catalysed coupling reactions (Davies, Braddock and Armstrong): Simon Sung, PhD student (2011-2016). Industrial sponsor: Syngenta.
9. High-performance polymer/MOF composite membranes for chemical separations and catalysis (Davies, Livingston and Braddock): James Campbell, PhD student (2011-2016). industrial sponsor: AstraZeneca.
10. Direct amidation of carboxylic acids with designed non-metallic Lewis acid catalysts (Ashley, Bull): Florian Langman (MRes, 2012, PhD, 2013-2017). Industrial sponsor: Pfizer.
11. Next generation 'frustrated' Lewis pair catalysts (Fuchter, Ashley): Daniel Scott (MRes, 2012, PhD, 2013-2017). Industrial sponsor: Eli Lilly.
12. Silanols, Silanediols and Silanetriols as novel catalysts for the direct amide bond formation from carboxylic acids and amines (Braddock, Lickiss): Ben Rowley (PhD, 2013-2017). Industrial sponsor: Pfizer.
13. A Generic Platform for Computer-Aided Solvent Design for Selectivity in Catalytic Reactions (Adjiman, Armstrong, Galindo): Eliana Grant (PhD, 2015-). Industrial sponsor: Eli Lilly.
14. Step-by-step catalytic cycles (Bures, Spivey, Hellgardt): Christian Nielsen (PhD, 2015-). Industrial sponsor: Syngenta
15. Understanding of Cu-Catalysed Coupling Reactions Leading to Reliable and Scalable Processes (Davies, Braddock, Armstrong): Quintin Lo (PhD, 2015-9). Industrial sponsors: GSK/Syngenta.
16.  Frustrated Lewis Pair Hydrogenation: Mechanisms, kinetics and reaction engineering (Tighe, Ashley, Fuchter): Nathan Allcock (PhD, 2016-). industrial sponsor: GSK
17. Heterocycle Synthesis in Flow (Bull/Miller/Hallett): Sebastian Green (PhD, 2017-). Industrial sponsor: GSK
18. Catalysis in Flow (Hii/Hellgardt): Oliver Newton (PhD, 2017-). Industrial sponsor: Eli Lilly.

These collaborations have also resulted directly in successful bids to EPSRC, which resulted in the award of the following project grants:

1. EP/G027544/1: Enabling oxidation reactions on a large scale: combining electrochemistry with flow (Hii, Hellgardt, Kelsall)
2. EP/G070172/1: ELSEP (Elucidate and Separate) – Palladium Catalysts in C-C and C-N Coupling reactions (Livingston, Hii)

Chemistry:

• Professor King Kuok (Mimi) Hii, Professor of Catalysis
• Professor Alan Armstrong, Professor of Organic Chemistry
• Dr. Matthew Fuchter, Lecturer in Synthetic and Medicinal Chemistry
• Professor Paul Lickiss, Reader in Organometallic Chemistry
• Professor Alan Spivey, Professor of Synthetic Chemistry
• Dr. Rob Davies, Senior Lecturer, Synthesis Section
• Professor D. Chris Braddock, Reader in Organic Chemistry
• Dr. James Bull, EPSRC Career Acceleration Fellow
• Dr. Andrew Ashley, Imperial College Junior Research Fellow
• Dr. Philip Miller, Lecturer in Radiochemistry

Chemical Engineering:

• Professor Klaus Hellgardt, Reader in Chemical Engineering
• Professor Geoffrey H. Kelsall, Professor of Electrochemical Engineering
• Professor Andrew G. Livingston, Professor, Chemical Engineering
• Dr. Andreas Kogelbauer, Senior Lecturer, Chemical Engineering
• Professor Claire Adjiman, Professor of Chemical Engineering
• Professor Amparo Galindo, Professor of Physical Chemistry
• Dr. Jason P. Hallett, Reader in Sustainable Chemical Technology
• Dr. Chris Tighe, Lecturer