New paper in J Org Chem

Our latest paper has been published online in the Journal of Organic Chemistry. The paper is Avene’s first paper, and details her identification of an impurity that was acting as a catalyst poison in thiourea-catalysed glycosylations. The impurity arose from the benzylation of an alcohol in DMF – a procedure that is carried out thousands of times per year all around the world. Despite this, the side-reaction that generates the impurity had not been noted in the scientific literature before. Well done to Avene on her excellent detective work, and congratulations also on her first crystal structure.

The paper can be read online at the link below:

J Org Chem 2016, Article ASAP; DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.6b01914

If you don’t have a subscription and would like to read the article please email eoghan dot mcgarrigle at ucd dot ie to request a free article-on-request code.

The research was funded by the Irish Research Council and SFI.

Eoghan awarded SFI CDA grant

Eoghan has been awarded a Science Foundation Ireland Career Development Award. The awards were officially announced today by the Minister of State for Training, Skills and Innovation, John Halligan TD. Eoghan and other winners of SIRG and CDA awards were invited to an event in the Science Gallery where Minister Halligan announced the research investment of €22 million which will support nearly 100 researchers from  countries. Minister Halligan said “These researchers will be the next leaders of research in Ireland, shaping the research community both here in Ireland and internationally. “

Pictured are 7 of the award winners from UCD. From Left to Right: Angela Feechan (CDA), Antonio Benedetto (SIRG), Liliana Pasquale (SIRG), Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland, Professor Mark Ferguson,  Minister of State for Training, Skills and Innovation, John Halligan TD, Eoin Cummins (CDA), Eoghan McGarrigle (CDA), Yan Yan (SIRG), Simon Kelly (CDA).

It was a good day for the UCD School of Chemistry; in addition to Eoghan’s CDA award, it was announced that Dr Yan Yan and Dr Susan Kelleher had both been awarded SIRG awards.