New Patents

Abstract

Johnson Matthey Catalysis and Chiral Technologies, Orchard Road, Royston, Hertfordshire SG8 5HE, UK; E-mail: fabrizio.nerozzi@matthey.com On 20th October 2009 around 100 delegates from the chemical industry and academia met in London, UK, for the second meeting on “Challenges in Catalysis for Pharmaceuticals and Fine Chemicals”.The event was organised jointly by the Society of Chemical Industry Fine Chemicals Group and the Royal Society of Chemistry Applied Catalysis Group. It followed the very successful first event that took place in 2007 and was reviewed in this Journal (1). Topics covered included: the latest developments in coupling redox processes for carbon–carbon bond formation; cross-coupling reactions; nitrile hydrogenation; organocatalysis; amide bond formation by catalysis; and novel techniques for development of catalysed reactions. Like its predecessor, this meeting also focused on one of the principles of ‘green chemistry’: in this case, finding ways of minimising chemical waste by choosing those reagents and catalysts that produce the most atom-efficient processes. A series of seven oral presentations from speakers representing British and international academic institutions and the pharmaceutical industry was supported by a poster display during lunch. John Birtill (Consultant in Catalyst Technology, UK) of the RSC Applied Catalysis Group made the closing remarks. The following is a brief review of the research work on platinum group metal (pgm)-catalysed reactions presented at the meeting.