The main goal of our research group is to develop methods to access new chemical entities (NCEs, a molecule that can be translated into a drug for therapeutic purposes). Currently, the production of NCEs is one of the major limitations in the drug discovery process. In this context, our research focuses on the application of methods recently introduced into organic chemistry for the development of new chemical structures. The rise of organocatalysis and photoredox catalysis over the last decade has been extraordinary. This is due, among other things, to the operational simplicity of both methods and the incorporation of new molecular activation methods through different mechanisms to carry out new transformations very efficiently. Our research group studies both techniques.

In more specific terms, we implement enantioselective desymmetrisation processes through the use of the intramolecular aza-Michael reaction. This allows access to a new family of disubstituted piperidines, which are considered privileged structures given the wide range of biological activities they induce. Additionally, within the context of organocatalysis, we design new tandem organocatalytic processes in which one of the individual processes is an intermolecular aza-Michael reaction. This approach allows for the generation of new families of nitrogenated polycyclic systems with the simultaneous generation of several stereocentres. Our research group also studies the combination of organocatalytic processes with dipolar cycloadditions. On the basis of iminic activation, adding organocatalytic nucleophilic to ortho-substituted cinnamaldehydes with a trifluorovinyl unit will generate the corresponding conjugated addition product, susceptible of undergoing an intermolecular [3+2] nitrone reaction. This process will allow us to generate quaternary centres containing a trifluoromethyl unit. The production of such stereocentres is a major synthetic challenge, only partially solved by conjugated additions.

Lastly, we seek to explore the field of photoredox catalysis. Due to our previous experience with fluorinated substrates and the great variety of fluoroalkyl radicals produced with this methodology, we aim to extend the production of such radicals to difluorobromo propargyl and imidoyl halide systems. This will allow for the study of the viability of these intermediaries as well as a preliminary assessment of their reactivity in insertion reactions on various unsaturated systems. This methodology will be applied to synthesise fluorinated gamma amino acids. We are also working with other universities and research centres to design and evaluate compounds with anti-inflammatory activity and new additives that would improve the properties of paper.