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SUMMARY:CO2: More Than a Carbon Source
DTSTART:20260915T170000
DTSTAMP:20260916T011032Z
UID:533ea58f4d258ef310356b593228a12aa49ce1743e5699aa325ee27c
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Prof. Shoubhik Das\, University of Bayreuth\, Germany\nCarbon 
 dioxide (CO2)\, traditionally regarded as an abundant greenhouse gas and t
 hermodynamic end-product of combustion\, has emerged as an attractive C1 f
 eedstock for sustainable chemical synthesis. However\, its synthetic poten
 tial extends far beyond its direct incorporation into organic molecules. O
 ur research has focused on redefining the role of cin organic synthesis\, 
 from a passive carbon source to an active and versatile reagent capable of
  promoting\, mediating\, and controlling chemical transformations.\n\nThis
  lecture will highlight our contributions toward exploiting the multifacet
 ed reactivity of CO2 through four complementary concepts. First\, we have 
 demonstrated the use of CO2 as a promoter for functional-group transforma
 tions\, where reversible interactions with substrates can alter their intr
 insic reactivity and enable transformations under milder or more selective
  conditions. Second\, our efforts in CO2 fixation illustrate strategies 
 for incorporating this abundant C1 building block into value-added organic
  molecules\, providing new opportunities for constructing carboxylated and
  related functional architectures. Moving beyond carbon incorporation\, we
  introduced the concept of utilizing CO2 as an oxygen-transfer reagent\, 
 revealing that its oxygen atoms can be strategically harnessed for oxidati
 ve transformations. This unconventional reactivity challenges the classica
 l perception of CO2 as an inert terminal oxidation product and establishes
  it as a potential alternative oxygen source in synthetic chemistry. More 
 recently\, we have expanded this paradigm by employing CO2 as a redox shu
 ttle in functional-group conversions\, where CO2 participates dynamically 
 in redox processes without necessarily being retained in the final molecul
 ar framework. Such an approach enables the redox potential embedded within
  CO2 to be exploited for synthetically useful transformations while openin
 g new mechanistic possibilities for reaction design.\n\nTogether\, these s
 tudies establish a broader conceptual framework for CO2 utilization beyon
 d fixation\, in which CO2 can function as a carbon source\, reaction promo
 ter\, oxygen-transfer reagent\, and redox mediator. By uncovering and cont
 rolling these unconventional modes of CO2 reactivity\, we aim to transform
  one of the most abundant waste molecules into a versatile synthetic tool 
 and provide new directions for more resource-efficient and sustainable org
 anic synthesis.\n\nReferences: (a) Qin et al. Science 2026\, 392\, eaed606
 8. (b) Qin et al. Nature Commun. 2023\, 14\, 7604. (c) Piccirilli et al. J
 . Am. Chem. Soc. 2023\, 145\, 5655. (d) Hu et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 20
 26\, e9277722. (e) Reimer et al. ACS Catal. 2018\, 8\, 3030.\n 
LOCATION:BCH 4310 https://plan.epfl.ch/?room==BCH%204310
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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