Stone Symposium 2025 - hosted by Professor Robin Bedford, Professor Natalie Fey, and Dr Chris Russell, University of Bristol.
Headline Speaker
Professor Paul Pringle, University of Bristol
Title: The role of design, curiosity and luck in P-ligand invention for homogeneous catalysis or nuclear medicine
Abstract: It is difficult to overstate how important phosphorus ligands have been, and continue to be, in the development of efficient homogeneous catalysts for a great variety of reactions; such reactions have found extensive applications in the industrial production of commodity and fine chemicals. P-ligands are often arduous and expensive to make, as well as being air-sensitive, highly toxic and foul-smelling. In view of this catalogue of undesirable properties, why are P-ligands so successful? Answering this question will be one of the themes of this lecture.
We have concentrated on exploring P-ligands that are of academic interest because of their unusual chemical structure, but have always had an eye on potential applications for the curiosities we have produced. For example, complex ligands derived from one of the simplest phosphorus(III) compounds, PH3, via sequential hydrophosphinations (P–H additions), have led to a fascinating array of cyclic, bicyclic and cage phosphines that, in collaboration with industrial partners, have been shown to produce impressive catalysts for alkene carbonylation and hydroformylation. By pushing the boundaries of what is possible with P-ligands (e.g. with ligands containing P–F or P–B bonds), we have discovered systems that 'break the rules' in some areas of homogeneous catalysis and examples of this concept will be presented.
Recently we have applied the lessons learned from designing P-ligands for homogeneous catalysts, to the design of P-ligands with potential biomedical applications and, in the process, have uncovered reasons why, seemingly improbable, platinum(0)-catalysed hydrophosphination reactions proceed at all.
Keynote Speakers
Professor Liam Ball, University of Bristol
Organobismuth reagents for synthesis and catalysis
Dr Michelle Ma, Kings College London
Delivery of radioactive 99mTc and 188Re to cancers using versatile diphosphine chelators
Professor Derek Woollins, University of St. Andrews (Emeritus)
The Isolobal Analogy in p block chemistry ..a history lesson
The symposium is free to attend, but please register by completing the online form.