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Organometallic Synthesis Laboratory

Description of the Group:

Research carried out by this group concerns application of different catalytic reactions in organic synthesis, especially in synthesis of natural products and pharmaceuticals. Currently, work of the group is focused on organic synthesis by means of transition metal complexes, with emphasis on olefin metathesis and on chemistry of renewable resources. Such research must be conducted under the inert gas atmosphere, by use of the Schlenk technique or glovebox, that allows to work under anhydrous and anaerobic conditions. The main research areas of this group are designing new, user-friendly catalysts that enable easier purification of reaction products, analyzing the possibilities of the reuse of catalysts, and expanding the application range of metathesis in organic synthesis. The research laboratory of this group is fully equipped with modern instruments, including dry-boxes, GC, GC/MS and HPLC chromatographs, NMR 400 MHz spectrometer with autosampler.

Research Services:

The main research areas of this group are designing new, user-friendly catalysts that enable easier purification of reaction products, analyzing the possibilities of the reuse of catalysts, and expanding the application range of metathesis in organic synthesis.

The research laboratory of this group is fully equipped with modern instruments, including dry-boxes, GC, GC/MS and HPLC chromatographs, NMR 400 MHz spectrometer with autosampler.

Research Interest:

  • design and synthesis of new catalysts;
  • catalysis with transition metal complexes;
  • conversion of biomass into useful products;
  • synthesis of analogues and derivatives of biologically active compounds.

Research Equipment

Equipment Name Contact Person / Room Number
1 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectrometer (2 pcs.) Agilent 400-MR DD2 Łukasz Szczuciński, room 3.09, lszczucinski@cnbc.uw.edu.p
2 Gas chromatograph (GC) PerkinElmer Clarus 580 with FID detector
3 Gas chromatograph (GC) PerkinElmer Clarus 680 with mass spectrometer SQ8T
4 High-Performance Liquid Chromatograph UFLC LC-20 Shimadzu
5 Microwave Reactor Discover
6 Glovebox MBraun wraz z SPS
7 Karl Fischer titrator
8 Laboratory pressure reactors 250 mL (3 pcs)
9 Reactor for conducting synthesis in high vacuum

 

Team Leader

Professor Karol Grela works on synthesis of organic compounds, olefin metathesis and organometallic chemistry in general. He received his Master Engineer’s degree at the Faculty of Chemistry of the Warsaw University of Technology, and then his PhD degree at the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences. After a doctoral internship with Professor Alois Fürstner at the Max Planck Institute in Mülheim, he returned to Poland, where he defended his habilitation (Institute of Organic Chemistry) in 2003 and was awarded the title of professor in 2008. He has won numerous awards and his scientific output includes more than 230 publications and more than 15 patent families (both Polish and international).

Professor Grela’s research results are applied in practice in the industry, and several catalysts developed in Warsaw have been commercialized. Prof. Grela is a member the Scientific Advisory Board of Polpharma SA, as well as a Scientific Advisor to Apeiron Synthesis SA.

Selected scientific publications:

1) Grzesiński, Ł.; Nadirova, M.; Guschlbauer, J.; Kajetanowicz, A.; Grela, K. “Preserving precise choreography of bonds in Z-stereoretentive olefin metathesis by using quinoxaline-2,3-dithiolate ligand” Nat. Commun. 2024, 15, 8981.
2) Sytniczuk, A.; Kajetanowicz, A.; Grela K. “Inverted” Cyclic(Alkyl)(Amino)Carbene Ligands Allow Olefin Metathesis with Ethylene at Part-Per-Billion Catalyst Loading” Chem Catal. 2023, 3, 100713.
3) Kośnik, W.; Lichosyt, D.; Śnieżek, M.; Janaszkiewicz, A.; Woźniak, K.; Malińska, M.; Trzaskowski, B.; Kajetanowicz, A.; Grela, K. “Ruthenium Olefin Metathesis Catalysts Bearing Macrocyclic N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand: Improved Stability and Activity” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, 134, e202201472.

 

Significant Achievement:

Development of a series of ruthenium complexes containing novel benzylidene, N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC), and cyclic(alkyl)(amino)carbene (CAAC) ligands (some of them patented), demonstrating intriguing catalytic properties. Some of these catalysts exhibit very good catalytic activity, especially in the case of macrocyclization at high concentration, providing precious compounds with a musk smell interesting from flavor and fragrances (FnF) industry point of view.

Synthesis of macrocyclic musks carried out in high concentrations:

 

Rendered catalyst structures:

Projekty realizowane przez Grupę Badawczą

Tytuł Kierownik projektu Okres realizacjiFinansowanieDodatkowe informacje
Stereoselektywne i Stereoretentywne Katalizatory Metatezy Olefin o Zwiększonej Stabilności Chemicznej i Termicznej.dr hab. Anna Kajetanowicz01.06.2022 - 31.05.2027Narodowe Centrum Nauki w ramach konkursu Sonata
BIS 11
Opis
Nieortodoksyjne koncepcje w metatezie olefin. prof. dr hab. inż. Karol Grela 01.10.2020 - 30.09.2025Narodowe Centrum Nauki w ramach konkursu MAESTRO 11Opis
Niemożliwe staje się możliwe: makrocyklizacja nieuprzywilejowanych dienów w wysokim stężeniu przez metatezę z zamknięciem pierścienia.prof. dr hab. inż. Karol Grela 27.02.2020 - 26.10.2023Narodowe Centrum Nauki w ramach konkursu OPUS 17Opis
Coordination Chemistry Inspires molecular Catalysis (CCIMC) Program: MARIE SKLODOWSKA-CURIE INNOVATIVE TRAINING NETWORKS H2020-MSCA-ITN-2019- European Joint Doctorateprof. dr hab. inż. Karol Grela 03.2022-02.2024MARIE SKLODOWSKA-CURIE INNOVATIVE TRAINING NETWORKS
H2020-MSCA-ITN-2019-European Joint Doctorate
Opis
Karta projektu