Organocatalysis

Catalysis with small organic molecules, where an inorganic element/metal is not a part of the active principle, has become a higly dynamic area of chemical research. Many organocatalysts have been reported for the rate enhancement of various organic reactions, however, expeimental verification of the reaction mechanism as well as a rational approach in catalyst design is lacking to date. Several organocatalysts have been hypothesised to form hydrogen bond with the reactant, thereby facilitating the reaction. In our lab, we work on spectroscopic determination of reaction rates (without even performing the chemical reaction!). The outcome of this research is manyfold: (1) The hypothesized reaction mechanism can be experimentally verified for named reactions. (2) Reaction rates can be predicted  directly from spectroscopic studies without performing the reactions. (3) A new catalyst can be spectroscopically tested regading its efficiency. (4) Once the underlying interactions are understood, a rational approach can be postulated for targeted catalyst design.