Photo-Electro Catalysis

M.Sc.: Department of Pharmacy, University of Milan, Italy
B.Sc.: School for Europe of Parma, Italy
Internship: Max-Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam

Research Project: Photoelectrocatalytic dinitrogen fixation for the preparation of high-value small organic molecules
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Joshua Barham (UR, University of Strathclyde)
Co-Supervisors: Dr. Oleksandr Savateev, Dr. Paolo Giusto (MPI of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam)

M.Sc.: University of Regensburg
B.Sc.: University of Regensburg
Internship: University of Alicante, Spain

Research Project: Electrocatalytic Functionalization of White Phosphorus
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Robert Wolf (UR)
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Corinna Hess (UR)
Industrial Mentor: Dr. Tobias Gärtner (ESy-Labs)

M.Sc.: University of Regensburg
B.Sc.: University of Regensburg

Research Project: Photochemical uphill synthesis of cyclopropanes from furans and carbonyls utilizing the Paternò-Büchi reaction
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Oliver Reiser (UR)
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Thorsten Bach (TUM)
Industrial Mentor: Dr. Walter Hübsch (Bayer AG)

Project abstract

Our endergonic synthesis of polyfunctionalized cyclopropanes avoids conventional prefunctionalization and high-energy starting materials, instead using light energy in the form of photogernerated furan-oxetanes.

M.Sc.: University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Czech Republic
B.Sc.: University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Czech Republic
Internship: Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Research Project: Photocatalytic functionalisation of arenes
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Burkhard König (UR)
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Ruth M. Gschwind (UR)
Industrial Mentor: Prof. Dr. Bernd Schäfer (BASF SE)

Project abstract

This project is focused on functionalisation of aromatic compounds in aqueous solutions under blue light-irradiation. Apart from synthesis, mechanistic studies using NMR and UV-VIS methods will be performed as well.

M.Sc.: Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
B.Sc.: Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi
Internship: Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

Research Project: Photocatalytic access to Isoxazolines and 3D architectures
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Oliver Reiser (UR)
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Julia Rehbein (UR)
Industrial Mentor: Dr. Walter Hübsch (Bayer AG)

M.Sc.: University of Regensburg
B.Sc.: University of Regensburg
Internship: University of Calgary, Canada (2024); University of Amsterdam, Netherlands (2023); Queen Mary University of London, UK (2019)

Research Project:
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Robert Wolf (UR)
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Ruth M. Gschwind (UR)
Industrial Mentor: Prof. Dr. Bernd Schäfer (BASF SE)

Publications:

• C. G. P. Ziegler, C. Taube, J. A. Kelly, G. Hierlmeier, M. Uttendorfer, J. J. Weigand, R. Wolf, “An unusual Ni₂Si₂P₈ cluster formed by complexation and thermolysis“, Chem. Commun. 2020, 56, 14071–14074.
• G. Hierlmeier, M. K. Uttendorfer, R. Wolf, “Di-tert-butyldiphosphatetrahedrane as a building block for phosphaalkenes and phosphirenes”, Chem. Commun. 2021, 57, 2356–2359.
• M. K. Uttendorfer, G. Hierlmeier, R. Wolf, „A Homoleptic Diphosphatetrahedrane Nickel(0) Complex“, Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem. 2022, e202200124.
• W. Sun, M. Uttendorfer, F. I. M. Idiris, A. Y. R. Werling, K. Sittiq, C. R. Jones, „Selective access to dihydrophenanthridines and phenanthridinones via cyclisation of aryl amines onto N-tethered arynes“, Chem. Commun. 2023, 59, 11823–11826.
• M. K. Uttendorfer, G. Hierlmeier, G. Balázs, R. Wolf, “Access to 1,2,3-Triphosphospholide Ligands by Reduction of Di-tert-butyldiphosphatetrahedrane”, Dalton Trans. 2024, 53, 10113–10119.
• J. Cammarata, F. F. Westermair, P. Coburger, D. Duvinage, M. Janssen, M. K. Uttendorfer, J. Beckmann, R. M. Gschwind, R. Wolf, D. J. Scott, „Unravelling White Phosphorus: Experimental and Computational Studies Reveal the Mechanisms of P4 Hydrostannylation”, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, e202408423.

Project abstract

White phosphorus (P₄) is an important feedstock for the chemical industry, while mixed phosphatetrahedranes comprised of phosphorus and carbon atoms in a tetrahedral scaffold were discovered only recently. This project investigates the electrochemical functionalization of phosphatetrahedranes (mainly P₄ and diphosphatetrahedranes, P₂C₂R₂, shown in Figure 1). By using electrochemical methods, we aim at the development of novel, efficient routes to valuable or previously unknown (organo-)phosphorus compounds starting from academically interesting and industrial useful tetrahedral building blocks.

M.Sc.: Technical University of Munich, Germany
B.Sc.: Technical University of Munich, Germany
Internship: Theodorakis Group, University of California, San Diego, USA; Bayer AG, Germany

Research Project: Total Synthesis of Paeoniflorin
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Thorsten Bach (TUM)
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Alexander Breder (UR)
Industrial Mentor: Dr. Giulia Bergonzini (AstraZeneca Göteborg)

Project abstract

Total synthesis of paeoniflorin with a photochemical key transformation.