Prof. Harutyunyan receives an ERC PoC grant

Professor of Homogeneous Catalysis Syuzanna R. Harutyunyan has been awarded an ERC Proof of Concept Grant from the European Research Council to develop innovative chiral ligands for more efficient and sustainable production of chiral molecules, which are vital for effective drugs and chemicals.

This EUR 150,000 grant aims to explore the commercial and societal potential of these discoveries, advancing transformative research toward real-world applications. Industries such as pharmaceuticals, flavors and fragrances, and agrochemicals face a growing demand for enantiopure molecules, driven by the increasing prevalence of chiral compounds in new drugs. However, challenges like high production costs, limited scalability, and constrained structural diversity of existing chiral ligands remain barriers.

Building on a previous ERC Consolidator Grant of EUR 2 million, this research focuses on a breakthrough class of new chiral phosphine ligands. These ligands are produced through a robust catalytic synthesis requiring just 1-2 steps and offer exceptional modularity for rapid diversification and application. This project will advance the development and industrial adoption of these ligands, with the potential to significantly enhance the synthesis of enantiomerically pure compounds for pharmaceuticals and other critical sectors.