Symposium Presents Chemical Processes
The international, top-class symposium DOMINOCAT with speakers from 16 countries took place from September 9 to 11, 2015, at the RWTH Aachen Institute of Organic Chemistry.
DOMINOCAT is the nickname for Professor Dieter Enders' ERC advanced grant, a research prize awarded by the European Research Council. The project involves the investigation of stereoselective catalytic reactions, which occurr one after another like a domino effect in a reaction vessel.
The term stereoselectivity refers to the fact that chemical substances can be built up and elicit different mechanisms of action in a natural environment, like an image and reflection.
Catalytic processes, that touch on this phenomenon, catalyze processes, with which only the image or reflection of an organic substance can be produced. The organic domino catalysis, where catalysts from natural sources are implemented, offers numerous advantages compared to the classic approach. Heavy metals in particular are avoided in the synthesis processes. At the same time, more reaction steps can occur in a single pot process, which is comparable to processes in nature. This efficient stereoselective synthesis strategy enables the depiction of complex biologically active bonds used in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and fine chemicals.
Source: Press and Communications