Electrochemical N-Propargylation of N-Heterocycles via Decarboxylation of Allenoic Acids
ACS Organic and Inorganic Au
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Robert Mayer
Technical University of Munich
Assistant Professorship of Physikalisch-organische Chemie der Katalyse (Prof. Mayer)
Postal address
Lichtenbergstr. 4
85748 Garching b. München
- Phone: +49 89 289 13624
- Room: 5403.04.310B
- Homepage
- E-mail: robert.j.mayer@tum.de
Research
Automated Physical-Organic Chemistry for Data-Driven Catalysis
The overarching goal of our research is to develop methods that can quantitatively explore and predict the outcome of catalytic reactions in organic chemistry. To achieve this, we combine automated experimentation using robotics with the research techniques of physical-organic chemistry. In this way, we generate kinetic datasets of catalytic reactions that we further analyze using methods from data science and computational chemistry. Together, these tools allow us to uncover general principles of catalytic reactivity and elucidate the underlying reaction mechanisms.
We apply this framework to catalytic reactions in water, where we investigate complex reaction networks in systems chemistry and address fundamental questions surrounding the emergence and increasing complexity of the first molecules of life. At the same time, we use it to study catalysis in synthetic organic chemistry, with the goal of developing a quantitative understanding of reactivity and mechanism that can guide the identification of optimal catalysts and reaction conditions.
12 Publications
Stepwise or concerted? One-bond-nucleophilicity and -electrophilicity parameters for the mechanistic analysis of 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions
Pure and Applied Chemistry
Abstract: Diazoalkanes are ambiphilic molecules that may react with electrophiles at carbon to give diazonium ions, with nucleophiles at nitrogen to yield azo compounds, or with dipolarophiles to produce…
Hexafluoroisopropanol-Mediated Cascade Cyclization for Construction of α-Amino-γ-spirolactones
JACS Au
Abstract: Given the ubiquity of spirolactones in pharmaceutical agents, natural products, and small-molecule chemical probes, considerable research has been devoted to streamlining their synthesis. Yet, the…
Triflic Acid-Catalyzed Dehydrative Amination of 2-Arylethanols with Weak N-Nucleophiles in Hexafluoroisopropanol
Angewandte Chemie - International Edition
Abstract: The catalytic deoxyamination of readily available 2-arylethanols offers an appealing, simple, and straightforward means of accessing β-(hetero)arylethylamines of biological interest. Yet, it currently…
Unraveling C-Selective Ring-Opening of Phosphiranes with Carboxylic Acids and Other Nucleophiles
Angewandte Chemie - International Edition
Abstract: Phosphiranes are weak Lewis bases reacting with only a limited number of electrophiles to produce the corresponding phosphiranium ions. These salts are recognized for their propensity to undergo…
Harnessing Phenonium Ions in Synthesis
Angewandte Chemie - International Edition
Abstract: Whereas phenonium ions have been known for decades, their use in synthesis has been surprisingly scarce. This might be attributed to the difficulty in taming their formation and reactivity. However,…
How Electrophilic Are Keteniminium Ions?
Synthesis (Germany)
Abstract: Keteniminium triflates (R 2 C=C=NMe 2+ TfO -) react via classical electrophilic aromatic substitutions with electron-rich arenes forming Wheland intermediates that rapidly undergo triflate-catalyzed…
Coenzymes in a pre-enzymatic metabolism
Science Advances
Abstract: Experiments now support theoretical suggestions that coenzymes mediated key metabolic reactions before the emergence of enzymes. Three coenzymes believed essential to the core metabolism of the last…
Metal ions turn on a stereoselective nonenzymatic reduction of keto acids by the coenzyme NADH
Chem
Abstract: The relationship between genetic molecules and metabolism is one of the longest-standing problems for the origin of life. A central molecule within early metabolism is the coenzyme nicotinamide…
Measuring Kinetics under Vibrational Strong Coupling
Angewandte Chemie - International Edition
Abstract: Vibrational Strong Coupling (VSC) has been reported to change the rate of organic reactions. However, a lack of convenient and reliable methods to measure reaction kinetics under VSC makes it…
Winter term 2025/26
| Title | Dates | Duration | Type | Lecturer (assistant) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current topics of physical organic chemistry and catalysis research |
|
2 | SE | |
| Physical Organic Chemistry |
|
3 | VI | |
| Reactivity of Organic Compounds (for Chemical Engineers), Exercises (CH0862) |
|
1 | UE |
J. Boekhoven [L]
|
Summer term 2026
| Title | Dates | Duration | Type | Lecturer (assistant) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current topics of physical organic chemistry and catalysis research |
|
2 | SE | |
| Lecture Series: Seminar in Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry |
|
2 | SE |