Making difficult molecules easy - that's essentially the goal of modern organic chemistry. But how do you actually do that? And why?
Complex molecules are all around us, from smart materials to medicines. Making such molecules - also known as 'synthesis' - can be a major challenge, requiring both a strong fundamental understanding and creativity. From a sustainability standpoint and for efficiency reasons, it's optimal to reach a desired target molecule as simply as possible. That's what Professor of Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Eelco Ruijter says in his inaugural lecture.
In his research, Ruijter develops new chemical reactions to make complex molecules in a smart and practically simple way. This requires careful coordination of the reactive groups of different precursor molecules, which, under the right conditions, work together (like musicians in an orchestra) to selectively form new bonds and thus make the desired complex molecule - the symphony of synthesis. The molecules we make in this way can have many possible applications, such as cell biology and materials science, but especially pharmaceutical development.