Projects per year
Personal profile
Areas of Expertise
Biography
Click here for current PhD opportunities in CHE. But feel free to email me to discuss projects outside these areas and alternative sources of funding.
1987. BSc. University of Bath.
1990. PhD. University of Warwick
1990 – 1991. Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, University of Heidelberg
1992 – 2001. Lecturer and Senior Lecturer, Cardiff University
2001 – 2007. Reader, Queen Mary, University of London.
My research involves the design and generation of novel organometallic compounds for application as catalysts in asymmetric organic synthesis. In addition to the synthesis of natural products, the resulting methodologies are also applied to the discovery of pharmaceuticals. Underpinning much of this work is the use of multiple stereochemical elements to vary and systematically optimise the activity and selectivity of a target compound. These interests in catalysis, synthesis and stereochemistry are reflected in my undergraduate option courses (e.g. “Asymmetric Catalysis”), and also in core Year 1 and 2 organic modules.
More information is available on the group website.
Selected Recent Publications
Double Asymmetric Synthesis: Faster Reactions are More Selective and a Model to Estimate Relative Rate
C. J. Richards and O. Stephen Ojo, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2023, 21, 7115-7128.
An Expedient Copper-Catalysed Asymmetric Synthesis of γ-Lactones and γ-Lactams. Application to the Synthesis of Lucidulactone A
O. Stephen Ojo, D. L. Hughes and C. J. Richards, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2023, 21, 4144-4149.
Application of Ferrocene-Based Palladacycle Precatalysts to Enantioselective Aryl-Aryl Kumada Coupling.
R. A. Arthurs, D. L. Hughes and C. J. Richards, Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2022, e202101077.
Copper(I) Complexes of P-Stereogenic Josiphos and Related Ligands
R. A. Arthurs, A. C. Dean, D. L. Hughes and C. J. Richards, Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2021, 2719-2725.
Planar Chiral Palladacycle Precatalysts for Asymmetric Synthesis
R. A. Arthurs, D. L. Hughes and C. J. Richards, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2020, 18, 5466.
Stereoselective Synthesis of all Possible Phosferrox Ligand Diastereoisomers Displaying Three Elements of Chirality: Stereochemical Optimization for Asymmetric Catalysis
R. A. Arthurs, D. L. Hughes and C. J. Richards, J. Org. Chem. 2020, 85, 4838.
Ferrocenyloxazoline-Derived Planar Chiral Palladacycles: C-H Activation, Transmetalation, and Reversal of Diastereoselectivity
R. A. Arthurs, D. L. Hughes and C. J. Richards, Organometallics, 2019, 38, 4271.
Stereoselective and Stereospecific Reactions of Cobalt Sandwich Complexes. Application to the Synthesis of a New Class of Single Enantiomer Bulky Planar Chiral P-N and P-P Ligands
R. A. Arthurs, P. N. Horton, S. J. Coles and C. J. Richards Chem. Eur. J. 2018, 24, 4310.
Catalyst Optimisation for Asymmetric Synthesis by Ligand Chirality Element Addition – A Perspective on Stereochemical Cooperativity
C. J. Richards and R. A. Arthurs, Chem. Eur. J. 2017, 48, 11460.
Deuterium as a Stereochemically Invisible Blocking Group for Chiral Ligand Synthesis
R. A. Arthurs and C. J. Richards, Org. Lett. 2017, 19, 702.
Enantiopure ferrocene-based planar-chiral iridacycles: stereospecific control of iridium-centred chirality
R. A. Arthurs, M. Ismail, C. C. Prior, V. S. Oganesyan, P. N. Horton, S. J. Coles and C. J. Richards, Chem. Eur. J. 2016, 22, 3065
Key Research Interests
For a summary of current research interest please follow this link.
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Projects
- 14 Finished
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Stereochemical Evolution for Catalyst Discovery
Richards, C. & Ojo, S.
7/01/19 → 31/03/21
Project: Research
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Developing & Testing 2nd Generation Oncology Focused Potent & Bioselective PermaLink-derived ADCs (MRC iCASE)
1/10/17 → 30/09/21
Project: Training
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Sequential Catalytic Reactions for the Asymmetric Synthesis of Novel Heterocyclic Building Blocks
19/06/17 → 11/08/17
Project: Research
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Programmable wide-range pH gradients for NMR titrations: Application to antibody–drug conjugate linker group modifications
Wallace, M., Sharpe, J. M., Baj, K., Ngwube, M., Thirlway, J., Kerigan Higgs, P. L., Stephenson, G. R., Iggo, J. A., Storr, T. E. & Richards, C. J., 26 May 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Analyst.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
An improved synthesis of 2,3-diamino-5,6-dichloropyrazine: A useful heterocyclic scaffold
Rigby, J. M., Chantry, A., Hemmings, A. M., Richards, C. J., Stephenson, G. R. & Storr, T. E., Dec 2024, In: Synthesis. 56, 23, p. 3587-3592 6 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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An expedient copper-catalysed asymmetric synthesis of γ-lactones and γ-lactams. Application to the synthesis of lucidulactone A
Ojo, O. S., Hughes, D. L. & Richards, C. J., 21 May 2023, In: Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry. 21, 19, p. 4144-4149 6 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile4 Citations (Scopus)3 Downloads (Pure) -
Double asymmetric synthesis: Faster reactions are more selective and a model to estimate relative rate
Richards, C. J. & Ojo, O. S., 21 Sept 2023, In: Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry. 21, 35, p. 7115-7128 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)8 Downloads (Pure) -
Application of a ferrocene-based palladacycle precatalyst to enantioselective aryl-aryl Kumada coupling
Arthurs, R. A., Hughes, D. L. & Richards, C. J., 29 Mar 2022, In: European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry. 2022, 9, e202101077.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile5 Citations (Scopus)45 Downloads (Pure)