Steve Marsden

Biography

Head of the School of Chemistry Professor of Organic Chemistry Member of the Process Research and Development group

Research Interest

Research interests The main focus of our work is in the development and application of new synthetic methods. Recent and ongoing projects include: Development of methods for the construction of diverse quaternary asymmetric centres. Avenues of exploration include (a) the chemistry of heteroatom-substituted extended enolates; (b) the first asymmetric variants of the aza-Wittig reaction; and (c) metal-catalysed asymmetric arylation protocols. Development of new efficient catalytic methods (both metal and organocatalysed) for fine chemical synthesis. Examples include new catalytic hydrogenation catalysis and catalytic approaches to the de novo assembly of heteroaromatics. Application of the above methods to target synthesis of bioactive natural products. Recent completed syntheses include the complex amino acid myriocin, tetrahydrofuran-containing compounds such as monocerin, virgatusin and the core of the eunicellins, and the indolizidine alkaloid tashiromine. Current targets include complex indole alkaloids such as the okaramines. The work is supported by the EPSRC, Royal Society (Industry Fellowship 2008-10 to SPM), AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, NPIL Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer and Syngenta.