Jonas Djossou
University of Amsterdam
Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences
Science Park 904 (C2.258a)
1098 XH Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
My Background
I was born in 1997 in Wuppertal, Germany, and did my BSc in chemistry at the University of Wuppertal. My BSc thesis, supervised by Adrián Gómez-Suárez, focused on photoredox-catalytic Giese reactions. Following undergraduate studies, I gained some industry experience through an internship in medicinal chemistry with Bayer in Wuppertal. Here, I concentrated on the synthesis of novel heterocyclic scaffolds using microwave and electricity-mediated methods. In 2020, I embarked on my MSc studies in chemistry at the Technical University of Munich. During an exchange semester in 2021, I joined the Lundberg research group at KTH Stockholm, where I contributed to developing a method for electro-reductive C-C cross coupling reactions. In 2022, I completed my MSc degree with a thesis under the guidance of Thorsten Bach, investigating photochemical radical cyclization via hydrogen atom transfer. Currently, I am pursuing my Ph.D. studies under the mentorship of Timothy Noël, as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie GreenDigiPharma doctoral network. My research focuses on the development of innovative photo- and base metal-catalyzed transformations in continuous flow systems.
My Project
At present, my primary focus lies in the development of novel late-stage transformations that combine photochemistry with base metal catalysis to facilitate C-sp3—C-sp3 bond formation. The construction of molecules featuring a significant fraction of C-sp3—C-sp3 bonds is of importance, given that it substantially raises the prospects of these molecules becoming successful drug candidates. In addition to that, continuous flow chemistry offers unique control of reaction conditions, especially in photochemical settings. The benefits of flow setups also span the potential for easier scale up, automation and inherently safer processes. Conventional methods for achieving this goal typically rely on harsh reaction conditions, employ rare and expensive transition metal catalysts, and generate substantial quantities of toxic waste. However, the integration of flow photochemistry alongside non-toxic base metal catalysts provides a unique opportunity to overcome these challenges. This approach offers the potential to carry out these complex transformations in an environmentally sustainable, rapid, and highly efficient manner.