Dr Benjamin N. Bhawal

Christina Miller Fellow

Research summary

Transition-metal catalysis, organocatalysis, site-selective functionalisation, C–H activation, late-stage modification of complex molecules

Research Overview

Our group has a broad interest in catalysis as an enabling tool for the construction of organic molecules. We have research programmes on establishing new paradigms in site-selective functionalisation and unlocking novel chemical reactivity with earth-abundant metal catalysts. An important aim of our work is to apply our chemistry to the modification of complex molecules as a strategy to expedite the discovery of new pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and other bioactive molecules.

  1. Overcoming Selectivity Issues in Reversible Catalysis – A Transfer Hydrocyanation Exhibiting High Kinetic Control. Benjamin N. Bhawal, Julia C. Reisenbauer, Christian Ehinger and Bill Morandi, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2020, 142, 10914. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c03184
  2. Catalytic isofunctional reactions – expanding the repertoire of shuttle and metathesis reactions. Benjamin N. Bhawal and Bill Morandi, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2019, 58, 10074. DOI: 10.1002/anie.201803797
  3. Palladium-​catalyzed carbon-​sulfur or carbon-​phosphorus bond metathesis by reversible arylation. Zhong Lian, Benjamin N. Bhawal, Peng Yu and Bill Morandi. Science, 2017, 356, 1059. DOI: 10.1126/science.aam9041
  4. Catalytic Transfer Functionalization through Shuttle Catalysis. Benjamin N. Bhawal and Bill Morandi. ACS Catal., 2016, 6, 7528. DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.6b02333