Electrochemical generation of silver complexes for chemotherapeutic applications

Preservation of precious metal catalysts in chemical synthesis is critical across the world. Specifically, there is a need for smarter Pd-catalysed C-C bond formation methodologies, either through the recovery of precious Pd at the end of well-applied reactions, or through catalyst immobilisation allowing the Pd to be reused multiple times. Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling is used in 20% of all the reactions conducted within the pharmaceutical sector.

Well-defined Pd cluster catalysts will be designed that exhibit unique reactivity in certain types of high-value reactions, particularly where product selectivity can be switched when compared against traditional homogeneous mononuclear Pd catalysts.

Changing the selectivity of these high-value reactions could mean that synthetic routes to important chemicals in the pharmaceutical sector are reordered, reducing the amount of residual palladium catalyst in the final product (life-saving drugs). This is beneficial on an economic level, by having less precious palladium lost, but also more importantly, on a therapeutic level where the drug is more pure and fewer side effects may be seen.