6 DC positions within the programme Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network

The Horizon Europe MSCA-Doctoral Network (DN) NextBase (“Base metal-catalytic cross-coupling methodologies towards sustainability”) is run by a Consortium of four academic and two non-academic groups that offers highly attractive PhD positions in the field of transition metal-catalytic methodologies for organic synthesis to 6 Doctoral Candidates (DCs).

1. BENEFICIARIES:

• Università degli Studi di Milano (UMIL), Department of Chemistry – ITALY – Coordinator
• Universität Graz (UNI GRAZ), Institute for Chemistry – AUSTRIA
• Université de Caen Normandie (UNICAEN), Molecular and Thio-organic Chemistry Laboratory – FRANCE
• Leibniz Institut für Katalyse e.V. an der Universität Rostock (LIKAT), Department of Synergies in Catalysis –GERMANY
• F.I.S. Fabbrica Italiana Sintetici S.p.A. (FIS), Research & Development Department – ITALY
• Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V. (JANSSEN), Chemical Process Research and Development/HTE – BELGIUM

2. ASSOCIATED PARTNERS:

•  DSM-Firmenich A.G. (FIRMENICH), R&D Division – SWITZERLAND

3. NextBase expected results:

The research groups within the DN NextBase with various areas of expertise will cooperate towards the strategic goal of replacing noble metals with 3d ‘base metals’ (e.g., V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) as catalysts for a range of key chemical transformations:

• visible light-promoted C-heteroatom and C-C coupling;
• cross-coupling by C(sp²)-H or C(sp³)-H activation promoted by heterosubstituted cyclopentadienyl Co- and Fe-complexes;
• deoxygenative coupling of carbonyl compounds and lignin-derived building blocks;
• iron-catalyzed Kumada-type couplings;
• application of the methodologies to the synthesis of industrial targets (fine chemicals, APIs or API intermediates).

Within the NextBase research program, applicants can choose among 6 different PhD projects, exploring base metal-catalyzed cross-coupling via different approaches. The state-of-the-art technologies and methodologies relevant to the project are listed below:

• organometallic chemistry;
• organic synthesis;
• photoredox catalysis;
• high-throughput experimentation;
• heterogeneous catalysis;
• ionic liquid-stabilized nanoparticles.