Green Chemistry

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), an opportunistic pathogen, is responsible for tuberculosis (TB), one of the deadliest infectious diseases. The mycomembrane of Mtb contributes to its resistance against many broad-spectrum antibiotics due to its lipid-rich structure, primarily composed of mycolic acids. Inhibiting the biosynthesis of mycolic acids is a promising strategy in TB drug discovery, as this pathway is enriched with essential enzymes that could serve as selective drug targets.

The development of sustainable methodologies for the synthesis of organic compounds is a fundamental challenge in modern organic chemistry. This project is focused on advancing the fields of photoredox catalysis (PRC) and synthetic photoelectrochemistry, exploring their applications in oxidative C-H substitution reactions.

Corrosion is a highly undesirable phenomenon in the oil and gas industry, which relies on metallic pipelines to transport acidic compounds or in corrosive environments. This issue can lead to significant economic losses due to structural damage and environmental harm associated with toxic corrosion inhibitors. In this context, green corrosion inhibitors have emerged as a promising alternative, offering high efficiency, biodegradability, and low toxicity, while being derived from natural and sustainable sources.

Traditional methods of oxidizing alcohols often rely on toxic reagents, as well as high pressures and temperatures, which can be hazardous. In contrast, biocatalysis utilizes enzymes as natural and non-toxic catalysts, typically under milder reaction conditions. This study aims to perform oxidation reactions of primary and secondary alcohols using enzymes as catalysts.

Contaminated drinking water is the leading cause of diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid fever, hepatitis A and E, poliomyelitis, and cholera. The main objective of this project was the development of PVA-based hydrogels loaded with silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) synthesized through a green synthesis process, with biocidal activity for the treatment of contaminated water.

Hydrazones as organometallic equivalents have emerged as a general and sustainable strategy to utilize naturally abundant aldehydes and ketones as feedstocks while only releasing water and nitrogen gas as byproducts. Yet the addition of these carbanion equivalents to carbonyl compounds has been limited to the use of precious metals as catalysts and hazardous solvents under an inert atmosphere. Herein, we report the development of a manganese-based catalyst system for the addition of aldehydes to carbonyl compounds producing secondary and tertiary alcohols with yields of up to 91%.