Investigating heterogeneously catalysed selective hydrogenation reactions of relevance to agri-chemical production chains

At the Jeallot's Hill International Research Centre, Syngenta are interested in understanding heterogeneous catalytic processes for the large-scale production of agri-chemical intermediates. One transformation of interest involves the application of heterogeneous catalysis to selectively hydrogenate aromatic cyanohydrin molecules to primary amines.

A recently completed Ph.D. project concentrating on the kinetics and hydrodynamics of this process has enabled a catalyst specification to be defined that supports high amine selectivity and extended catalyst lifetimes. A follow-on Ph.D. project is available for commencement in October 2015 that represents a further collaboration between Syngenta and the University of Glasgow. The new project will build on the previous work by developing a mechanistic understanding of the principal surface-mediated processes responsible for high amine yields. The majority of the work will be performed in modern laboratories housed within the School of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow. In addition, each year, the student will be expected to spend a 1-3 week placement at the Company's research centre (Jeallot's Hill).