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Professor Ian Fairlamb

01904 324091
Email: ian.fairlamb@york.ac.uk

Catalysis: reactivity, mechanism and application (chemical biology and target-orientated synthesis)

Our core interests are in the development and application of transition metal chemistry in catalysis and synthetic chemistry.  We are particularly interested in metal catalyst design and mechanistic understanding, especially in C-H and C-X activation processes, which we have a strong track record in.  Our work has links to chemical biology, supported by collaboration with others. Organometallic therapeutic agents such as carbon monoxide releasing molecules and fluorescent heteroaromatic compounds (purines and 2-pyrones) are of interest to the research group. Finally, we are engaged in some natural product synthesis, e.g. macrocyclic terpene derived compounds, which acts as a sharpening tool for our new catalysts and catalytic processes.

Current research projects

1) Metal-alkene interactions in transition metal catalysis, particularly palladium mediated cross-coupling processes.

2) Exploiting pseudohalide effects in transition metal catalysis.

3) Ligand design in metal catalysis (including biotransformations).

4) Unusual observations in metal-mediated processes.

5) CO releasing molecules and functionalised heteroaromatic therapeutic agents

6) Catalytically relevant metal-containing nanoparticles in C-H and C-X bond-forming processes.

7) Target-orientated synthesis interests.

8) C-H activation of purines (adenosine and guanosine): new fluorescent / therapeutic purine-containing compounds

Selected Publications

• Evidence for the Surface Catalysed Suzuki-Miyaura Reaction over Pd Nanoparticles: an Operando XAS Study
  P J Ellis, I J S Fairlamb S F J Hackett, K Wilson and A F Lee, Angew Chem Int Ed 2010, 49, 1820-1824.
• Remarkable anion effects uncovered in the development of a Au(III)-catalyzed tandem nucleophillic substitution-1,5-enyne cycloisomerization process
  J P Reeds, A C Whitwood, M P Healy, I J S Fairlamb, Chem Commun 2010, 46, 2046–2048.
• Ion-tagged π-acidic alkene ligands promote Pd-catalysed allyl-aryl couplings in an ionic liquid
  P S Bäuerlein, I J S Fairlamb, A G Jarvis, A F Lee, C Müller, J M Slattery, R J Thatcher, D Vogt and A C Whitwood, Chem Commun, 2009, 5734-5736.
• Pd(0)/Cu(I)-Mediated direct arylation of 2'-deoxyadenosines: mechanistic role of Cu(I) and reactivity comparisons with related purine nucleosides
  T E Storr, C G Baumann, R J Thatcher, S De Ornellas, A C Whitwood and I J S Fairlamb, J Org Chem, 2009, 74, 5810-5821.
• Site-selective direct arylation of unprotected adenine nucleosides mediated by palladium and copper: insights into the reaction mechanism.
  T E Storr, A G Firth, K Wilson, K Darley, C G Baumann and I J S Fairlamb, Tetrahedron, 2008, 64, 6125-6137.
• In-silico prediction of Pd-catalysed cross-coupling processes: dibenzylidene acetone (dba) ligand control.
  I J S Fairlamb and A F Lee, Organometallics, 2007, 26, 4087-4089.
• 2-Alkyne dicobalt(0)hexacarbonyl complexes as carbon monoxide-releasing molecules (CO-RMs): probing the release mechanism
  A J Atkin, S Williams, P Sawle, R Motterlini, J M Lynam and I J S Fairlamb, Dalton Trans, 2009, 3653–3656.
• η¹ -2-Pyrone metal carbonyl complexes as CO-releasing molecules (CO-RMs): A delicate balance between stability and CO liberation.
  I J S Fairlamb, J M Lynam, B E Moulton, I E Taylor, A K Duhme-Klair, P Sawle and R Motterlini, Dalton Trans, 2007, 3603-3609.