Nitrogen plays a key role in nearly all human endeavors: 95% of the 200 best selling drugs contain at least one nitrogen atom, 90% of all agrochemicals contain nitrogen and nitrogen is also present in nearly all high-performance materials from Kevlar in bullet-proof-vests to organic LEDs. Introducing nitrogen atoms into carbon-based molecules is, however, still challenging. Current methods produce large amounts of waste and may require harsh conditions. In the POPCA project we will develop a method that allows the direct installation of nitrogen atoms to molecules in a much more streamlined fashion. The method is based on photochemical activation of chlorine-nitrogen bonds using visible light, and is developed in the ETOS group (https://etosgroup.fi/) at Aalto University.

2023

2027