ERC FUNDED PROJECTS

"The stereoselective preparation of enantioenriched organic compounds of high structural complexity and synthetic value, in an economically viable and expeditious manner, is one of the most important goals in contemporary Organic Synthesis. In this proposal, I present a unified and conceptually novel approach for the conversion of flat, aromatic heterocycles into highly valuable compounds for a variety of applications. This approach hinges upon a synergistic combination of the dramatic power of organic photochemical transformations combined with the exceedingly high selectivity and atom-economy of efficient catalytic processes. Indeed, the use of probably the cheapest reagent (light) combined with a catalytic transformation ensures near perfect atom-economy in this journey from flat and inexpensive substructures to chiral added-value products. Conceptually, the photochemical operation is envisaged as a energy-loading step whereas the catalytic transformation functions as an energy-release where asymmetric information is inscribed into the products. The chemistry proposed herein will open up new vistas in enantioselective synthesis. Furthermore, groundbreaking and unprecedented methodology in the field of catalytic allylic alkylation is proposed that significantly expands (and goes beyond) the currently accepted “dogmas” for these textbook reactions. These include (but are not limited to) systematic violations of well-established rules “by design”, new contexts for application, new activation modes and innovative leaving groups. Finally, the comprehensive body of synthetic technology presented will be applied to pressing target-oriented problems in Organic Synthesis. It shall result in a landmark, highly efficient total synthesis of Tamiflu, as well as in application to an environmentally important target (Fomannosin), allowing the easy production of analogues for biological testing."

1 487 000 €

Start date: 2012-01-01, End date: 2016-12-31

Halogenated arenes and heteroarenes have become essential structural motifs of the pharmaceutical industry to create novel drugs against bacterial infections and cancer, and constitute highly valuable functional units in chemistry. Current methods for the installation of carbon-halogen bonds lack efficiency, selectivity, and practicability within the complex molecular setting of drug development processes. These restrictions prevent many potential drugs from being synthesized in a time- and cost-efficient manner. In this project, I aim to address these challenges by engineering a highly elaborated synthetic toolbox that is equipped with novel transformations of unprecedented efficiency, selectivity and practicability. I will apply these transformations to the construction of novel antibiotics against resistant strains and more efficient chemotherapeutics to combat cancer. The first objective is to establish innovative transformations that enable for the first time an efficient access to halogenated arenes. I will accomplish this goal by developing novel ring-expansion reactions and apply them to the first synthesis of the antibiotic salimabromide in order to address the acute problem of antibiotic resistance. Within the second part of this project, I will extend this unique synthetic platform to heteroarenes and establish a groundbreaking method based on carbon-fluorine bond activation. This will represent the first broadly applicable strategy to produce novel fluorinated heteroarene based anti-cancer drugs with unparalleled precision, efficiency and selectivity. Taken together, the realization of these strategies, all of which are unprecedented, provides for the first time a solution for the limitations associated with current methods. With my expertise in synthetic chemistry, which I have gained from my achievements in natural product synthesis, and an outstanding publication record in this research field, I am confident to accomplish these ambitious goals.

1 496 664 €

Start date: 2017-02-01, End date: 2022-01-31

In order to protect marine biodiversity and ensure that benefits are equally shared, the UN General Assembly has decided to develop a new legally binding treaty under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Marine biodiversity data will play a central role: Firstly, in supporting intergovernmental efforts to identify, protect and monitor marine biodiversity. Secondly, in informing governments interested in particular aspects of marine biodiversity, including its economic use and its contribution to biosecurity. In examining how this data are represented and used, this project will create a novel understanding of the materiality of science-policy interrelations and identify new forms of power in global environmental politics as well as develop the methodologies to do so. This is crucial, because the capacities to develop and use data infrastructures are unequally distributed among countries and global initiatives for data sharing are significantly challenged by conflicting perceptions of who benefits from marine biodiversity research. Despite broad recognition of these challenges within natural science communities the political aspects of marine biodiversity data remain understudied. Academic debates tend to neglect the role of international politics in legitimising and authorising scientific concepts, data sources and criteria and how this influences national monitoring priorities. The central objective of MARIPOLDATA is to overcome these shortcomings by developing and applying a new multiscale methodology for grounding the analysis of science-policy interrelations in empirical research. An interdisciplinary team, led by the PI, will collect and analyse data across different policy-levels and spatial scales by combining 1) ethnographic studies at intergovernmental negotiation sites with 2) a comparative analysis of national biodiversity monitoring policies and practices and 3) bibliometric and social network analyses and oral history interviews for mapping marine biodiversity science.

1 391 932 €

Start date: 2018-11-01, End date: 2023-10-31

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are nanoporous crystalline solids with narrow pore distributions and high accessible surface areas. MOFs are typically prepared in a polycrystalline form via the self-assembly of inorganic (nodes) and organic (links) building units. This bottom-up approach allows for properties such as, pore size, topology and chemical functionality to be precisely tailored. Such synthetic control has identified MOFs as promising platform material for device fabrication in the areas of microelectronics, photonics, sensing. However, current methods for fabricating MOF films and patterns cannot generate precisely oriented crystals on commercially relevant scales (i.e. cm). Thus, limiting access to applications that require anisotropic functional properties (e.g. optics, electronics, separation). POPCRYSTAL will enable the fabrication of films and patterns composed of precisely oriented MOF crystals by exploiting crystalline ceramics to guide the aligned growth of MOF crystals. Remarkably, the scale of these heteroepitaxially grown MOFs is solely determined by the ceramic precursor which can be easily synthesized on areas covering mm2 to cm2. POPCRYSTAL will advance a proof of concept study by addressing the following important research aims: the basic understanding of the formation mechanism and rules governing the heteroepitaxial relationship (WP1), the extension to different ceramic-MOF systems (WP2), the control over crystalline porous film and pattern features (WP3) and the fabrication of a proof-of-concept that will highlight the importance of aligned pores for separation (WP4). In summary, by exploiting the heteroepitaxial growth mechanism between ceramics and MOFs POPOCRYSTAL will fabricate unprecedented crystalline MOF films and patterns with precisely oriented nanopores and nanochannels. Thus POPCRYSTAL intercrosses and connects nanoscale chemistry, controlled self-assembly on a macroscale and nanoporous-based device fabrication.

1 996 315 €

Start date: 2018-05-01, End date: 2023-04-30

Recent global integrated modelling studies indicate low intensities in trade of energy commodities between global regions in a future low-carbon global energy system. Also, research based on modelling indicates that deep greenhouse-gas emission cuts are possible in fully electrified renewable energy systems on a continental or country scale from a techno-economic perspective. However, these modelling efforts partly neglect drivers of globalization and may therefore wrongly project regionalization of energy systems. In particular, (i) new, easily tradable, low-cost renewable fuels (e.g. solar & electric fuels), (ii) global bio-physical variability of renewables (e.g. solar radiation and freshwater availability), and (iii) regional differences in social land-use restrictions associated with the expansion of energy infrastructure can cause an increase of trade flows in the energy sector. We aim at better understanding how the spatial configuration of renewables in low-carbon energy systems is affected by these drivers and develop a cutting-edge, open-source global renewable energy model that combines elements of energy system and land-use modelling. It takes into account bio-physical conditions for renewable fuel and electricity production, social land availability restrictions, and a map of existing energy infrastructure at unprecedented level of detail. Our approach integrates open data sources from public institutions, user-generated GIS data, and social networks. Existing models for Europe and Brazil are used for validation. Qualitative interviews in local case studies complement the global model and increase our understanding of land-use restrictions on the local scale. Our project has impacts beyond energy systems analysis: in particular the identification of winning and losing regions in a global renewable energy system is highly relevant in climate change mitigation negotiations, and the generated spatial indicators and maps enable many potential applications.

1 499 905 €

Start date: 2018-08-01, End date: 2023-07-31

For the last twenty years, countries across the globe have negotiated a large number of preferential trade agreements. In parallel, trade negotiations have taken place in the framework of the World Trade Organization. These negotiations not only deal with tariffs, but also cover investments, competition policy, labour standards and much more. With much at stake, the extent to which different countries are able to achieve their preferred outcomes in these negotiations is of broad interest. In this project, I address this topic by asking: what makes some countries have more bargaining power than others in these negotiations? In other words, what explains variation in bargaining power in trade negotiations? My approach to these questions is ground-breaking in terms of theory, empirical research and methodology: 1.) I develop an original theoretical argument that links the globalization of production to bargaining power in trade negotiations. Concretely, I argue that the offshoring of production reduces the importance of market size in trade negotiations. The argument leads to the expectation of systematic variation in bargaining power over time, and across pairs of countries and sectors. 2.) I will collect novel and systematic data to test this argument, going far beyond the empirical evidence currently used to assess bargaining power in trade negotiations. The empirical research will bring together qualitative evidence from case studies with quantitative evidence on both the perception of power and the actual outcomes of trade negotiations. 3.) I will innovate methodologically by combining and comparing three approaches to measuring bargaining power, namely process tracing, attributed influence and preference attainment. The project will make a key contribution not only to the literature on bargaining power in international trade negotiations, but also to research on, e.g., international development, international institutions and the political economy of trade.

1 705 833 €

Start date: 2017-07-01, End date: 2022-06-30