Chemical Biology Metal Catalysis

Our Aims

Generation, training and transfer of knowledge

Development of creative and groundbreaking
research at the interface of Chemistry, Biology and Medicine.

Education of researchers in order they become
future leaders of academic or industrial projects.

Transferring of knowledge to Society in order
to propel economical and social progress

European Research Council Santiago de Compostela University Campus Vida CIQUS - Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biológica y Materiales Moleculares
Latest News
Media Library

Our first Org. Lett. for 2024 has been published and is already available on-line as ASAP

09/11/2024
We're really glad to share our most recent Org. Lett. has been accepted, and it's now available through the publisher website

We are so pleased to announce here that our last paper at Org. Lett., entitled "Assembly of 2-Substituted Tetrahydroquinolines from ortho-Methylbenzenesulfamides and Dienes, Using a C(sp3)–H Activation/Annulation Sequence" and authored by I. Huertas-Morales, B. Cendón, D. Costa, J. L. Mascareñas and M. Gulías, has been accepted and it's already on-line.


Abstract: 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydroquinolines (THQs) are essential structural cores in many natural products and pharmaceutical drugs. Especially relevant are those presenting substitutions at position 2, yet practical methods for their one-step assembly from acyclic precursors are very scarce. Herein, we present a straightforward approach to assembling these skeletons from ortho-methylanilines using a palladium-catalyzed C(sp3)–H activation/formal cycloaddition sequence. Key for the success of the approach is the use of dienes as partners, since they lead to stable π–allyl palladium intermediates that prevent β-hydride elimination processes and allow installation of versatile alkenyl handles at position 2. Moreover, installing a perfluorobenzenesulfonyl substituent at the amine not only facilitates the C–H activation but also allows for an easy recovery of the free amine.



External link: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.orglett.4c02292

Brand new collaborative article with our Chilenians colleagues at Adv. Synth. Catal., is now available on-line through the journal website

08/21/2024
We are so happy to share another collaborative manuscript with F. Verdugo, among others, is already available

We are really glad to announce here that our last collaborative article at the journal Adv. Synth. Catal., entitled "Palladium-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling between Alkylidenecyclopropanes and Boronic Acids" and authored by R. Rodiño, F. Mardones, K. Paredes, C. A. Jiménez, R. Nelson, J. L. Mascareñas, F. López and F. Verdugo, is already available through the publisher website as a gold-open access paper.

Abstract: The combination of a Pd(0) source and a phosphoramidite ligand promotes a formal allylic cross-coupling between alkylidenecyclopropanes (ACPs) and boronic acids to yield synthetically appealing 1,1-disubstituted alkenes. Remarkably, the reaction proceeds both under neutral and basic conditions, and works with both aryl- and alkenylboronic acids. DFT calculations suggest that the reaction entails a C-C activation/protonation mechanism instead of a hydropalladation pathway, such as has been proposed for other metal-promoted hydrofunctionalizations of ACPs.


External link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/adsc.202400657

Our first review for 2024 has been published in Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., already available on-line as Accepted Article

08/12/2024
We're really glad to share our most recent ACIE minireview has been accepted, and it's now available as Open Access through the publisher website

We are so pleased to announce here that our last minireview at Angew. Chem. Int Ed., entitled "Bioorthogonal Synthetic Chemistry Enabled by Visible-Light Photocatalysis" and authored by M. Mato, X. Fernández-González, C. D'Avino, M. Tomás-Gamasa and J. L. Mascareñas, has been accepted and it's already on-line (gold Open Access).


Abstract: The field of bioorthogonal chemistry has revolutionized our ability to interrogate and manipulate biological systems at the molecular level. However, the range of chemical reactions that can operate efficiently in biological environments without interfering with the native cellular machinery, remains limited. In this context, the rapidly growing area of photocatalysis offers a promising avenue for developing new type of bioorthogonal tools. The inherent mildness, tunability, chemoselectivity, and external controllability of photocatalytic transformations make them particularly suitable for applications in biological and living systems. This minireview summarizes recent advances in bioorthogonal photocatalytic technologies, with a particular focus on their potential to enable the selective generation of designed products within biologically relevant or living settings.



External link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.202413506

Another ACS Catalysis for this 2024, also with Dr. Lázaro-Milla as first author. Take a look, it's on-line and OA!

07/20/2024
Incredibly happy to share another ACS Catal. manuscript has been accepted, and it's available as Open Access through the publisher website

We are so pleased to announce our second research article at ACS catal. for 2024, entitled "Cobalt-Catalyzed (3 + 2) Cycloaddition of Cyclopropene-Tethered Alkynes: Versatile Access to Bicyclic Cyclopentadienyl Systems and Their CpM Complexes" and authored by C. Lázaro-Milla, E. Da Concepción, I. Fernández, J. L. Mascareñas and F. López, has been accepted and it's already on-line (gold Open Access).

Abstract: Low-valent cobalt complexes can promote intramolecular (3 + 2) cycloadditions of alkyne-tethered cyclopropenes to provide bicyclic systems containing highly substituted cyclopentadienyl moieties with electronically diverse functional groups. The adducts can be easily transformed into new types of CpRh(III) and CpIr(III) complexes, which show catalytic activity in several relevant transformations. Preliminary computational (DFT) and experimental studies provide relevant information on the mechanistic peculiarities of the cobalt-catalyzed process and allow us to rationalize its advantages over the homologous rhodium-promoted reaction.

External link: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acscatal.4c03080

Synthetic models in Chemical Biology

10/05/2024
Workshop on Nanomedicine 2012. Prof. Mascareñas, ERC - Advanced Grant METBIOCAT, explains his research lines in the chemical biology field.
DNA is the key macromolecule used by nature to store the genetic information, therefore containing all the instructions that control the day-to-day function of cells. As such, it has been a traditional target for the development of different type of drugs, particularly anticancer agents. These drugs include alkylating agents, like cis-platinum and derivatives, and non-covalent binders like the anthracyclines, which interact to DNA by intercalation between base pairs. There are other types of cytotoxic non-covalent DNA binders, like distamycin or propamidine, which interact to DNA by insertion in the minor groove.

We have been interested in this latter type of molecules, because they are sequence selective and therefore provide for molecular engineering of site-specific DNA-promoted processes. In particular, we have designed and synthesized a number of variants of propamidine that work as sequence specific DNA optical sensors, or as light-activated prodrugs.

Some of the knowledge acquired in the studies of light-promoted processes has been extended to area of DNA-protein interactions. In particular, we have developed a chemical approach to control the DNA interaction of synthetic mimics of transcription factors, and expect that the tactic can be used in the future to regulate processes of gene expression.
Part of our work in this area is also focused to the construction of optical sensors that can detect minute amounts of transcription factors considered as oncogenic biomarkers, like the bZIP protein Jun.

Meet our team

José Luis Mascareñas, PhD leads this team of researchers. Find out more about him and the rest of the team in our Group members section.

Group Members

Join Us

We are always looking forward to welcoming exceptional candidates into our research Group. Please visit our Opportunities section or send us your cv.

Opportunities

Living and working in
Santiago de Compostela

Are you new to the city and its University?
We have gathered some facts and figures you may find interesting.

15ºC

Annual mean temperature. The humid oceanic climate guarantees mild weather throughout the year.

33,000

Students attend the University. With the city population around 100,000.

500

Year old University. Currently imparting more than 60 degrees.

Connected

Santiago is well connected, having its own international airport, train station, etc.

Heritage

Amongst many awards, Santiago was declared World Heritage City by UNESCO in 1985.

Galicia

Santiago de Compostela is the capital of Galicia de most Nortwestern region of Spain.

Transport

Public transport is available in order to get around the city, which is also conveniently located to visit other sites in Galicia.

Language

Spanish and Galician are the two official languages of Galicia. Your work will be carried out in English.

Resources

Official websites:
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