Thorsten Bach

Schools and Universities

 

Scientific Background

 

09/87-07/88 Diploma Thesis (Prof. Dr. G.A. Olah)

Friedel-Crafts silylation reactions of aromatic compounds (benzene, toluene, ferrocene) in the presence of proton scavengers; redistribution reactions on chlorosilanes under Lewis acid catalysis; silyl transfer to ferrocenes; NMR-studies of silylated aromatics in super acids.

10/88-07/91 Ph.D. Thesis (Prof. Dr. M.T. Reetz)

Design of chiral Lewis acids for catalytic enantioselective C-C bond forming reactions (Diels-Alder reaction, Mukaiyama aldol reaction, formation of cyanohydrins with TMSCN); organometallic chemistry of cationic iron complexes; preparation of new covalent iron tin compounds; coordination chemistry of zinc containing peptide complexes.

08/91-07/92 Postdoctoral Work (Prof. Dr. D.A. Evans)

Convergent total synthesis of diphthine; Pd-catalyzed coupling reactions (Heck-, Stille-, Hagihara-, Negishi-type coupling) of histidine derivatives; selective C(2)-functionalisation of protected histidines; reactions of imidazole heterocycles (metallation, electrophilic substitution, halogenation); preparation of functionalized alkylzinc reagents.

09/92-11/96 Habilitation (Prof. Dr. D. Hoppe)

Stereoselective C-C bond formation by photochemical reactions; Paternó-Büchi reactions of functionalized alkenes; regioselective ring opening of oxetanes; application of this methodology to the synthesis of natural products; new catalytic reactions.

01/97- Current Research Interests

Photochemistry: Enantioselective photochemical reactions in solution; deracemization by chiral sensitizers; photochemical activation of small molecules; design and development of new UV-A absorbers, fluorophores, and dyes; catalysis of photochemical reactions by Lewis acids and Cu salts; inter- and intramolecular photocycloaddition reactions of tetronates.

Synthesis: Total synthesis of natural products (polyketides, alkaloids, terpenes, peptides) and of biologically active compounds (antibiotics, antipsychotics, im-munosuppressants, anticancer agents); elucidation of structure-activity relation-ships by synthesis; lead discovery in collaboration with industrial and academic partners.

Catalysis: Regioselective Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions on heterocycles; new catalytic methods for stereoselective nitrogen transfer; development and synthesis of new chiral ligands; stereoselectivity of reactions involving carbenium ions as intermediates; C-H activation reactions at sp³ and sp² centers; hydrogen bond-directed transition metal catalysis.

Scholarships and Awards

 

Work Experience

 

Memberships