Research TOP

Organic synthesis and homogeneous catalysis is the primary focus of Bjørsvik research group. The main goal of the most of the research in progress in the group are to develop new and better catalysts and cataytic processes, focusing both on improvement of synthetic processes and methods as well as the design of new ligands with the goal to improved selectivity and activity of the final catalyst.
The group are currently working mainly with the two transition metals ruthenium and palladium with N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) as the most important activating and stabilizing ligand. This work includes also efforts to secure the NHC ligand with a pendant arm to the surface of polymer particles, that can be of nanometer to micrometer size.
In addition to the development of catalysts, we develop new pathways in which transition metal catalysis are included as an important part of total synthesis. We are particularly interested in the synthesis of N-heterocyclic compounds with biological activity and various antioxidants.

The synthesis of N-heterocycles
Within this research activity, the molecular scaffolds of particular interests are benzo[c]cinnolines, carbazoles, and imidazoles. A recent NFR report discloses a summary of some of our recent works within this activity. The imidazoles are of particular interest as  such compounds can be used as precursors for NHC ligands used in organometallics for various catalysts, for example for olefin metathesis, Suzuki cross-coupling, and oxidation catalysts.

Oxidation and Free Radicals in Organic Synthesis
Free organic radicals for synthetic applications, development of green chemistry methods for the oxidation reactions in organic synthesis has been an long standing research activity in the research group. This research activity involves also studies of antioxidants and development of new total syntheses of such compounds.

Flow Chemistry
Development and investigation of continuous flow organic synthesis reactor systems is an important long standing project in the group. We have successfully developed a novel approach for flow chemistry that is realized in a milli-reactor system that we have named multi-jet oscillation disk (MJOD) milli reactor system. A patent application  was submitted (2005) for this system, and a company that was named Fluens Synthesis AS was established. See the web site for the Fluens Synthesis company for more information.

Teaching TOP

Regular courses

• KJEM131 Organic Synthesis and Analysis
• KJEM232 Experimental Organic Synthesis
• KJEM233 Organic mass spectrometry (past)
• KJEM335 Physical Organic Chemistry (past)

Special Topics

• Free Radical Reactions in Synthetic Organic Chemistry
• Experimental Design and Modelling in Organic Synthesis
• Heterocyclic chemistry
• N-heterocyclic carbenes in synthesis
• Organometallic reactions in organic synthesis
• Instrumental methods in organic synthesis

Recent publications TOP

Anna Tsoukala, Lucia Liguori, Giovanni Occhipinti, and Hans-René Bjørsvik.* A Novel Simple and Efficient Bromination Protocol for Activated Arenes. Tetrahedron Letters 2009, 50, 831–833.

Giovanni Occhipinti, Vidar R. Jensen, Karl Wilhelm Törnroos, Nils Åge Frøystein, and Hans-René Bjørsvik* Synthesis of a New Bidentate NHC-Ag(I) Complex and its Unanticipated Reaction with the Hoveyda-Grubbs 1st Generation Catalyst. Tetrahedron 2009, 65, 7186–7194.

Hans-René Bjørsvik, Stig Valdersnes, and Leiv K. Sydnes (eds.) IUPAC ICOS-18. Conference proceedings from The 18th International conference on organic synthesis. University of Bergen, Bergen 2010. ISBN 978-82-992954-5-8.

Raffaele Spaccini, Anna Tsoukala, Lucia Liguori, Carlo Punta and Hans-René Bjørsvik.* An optimized process to 10-bromo-1-decanol. Organic Process Research and Development. 2010, 14, 1215–1220.

Giovanni Occhipinti, Lucia Liguori, Anna Tsoukala, Hans-René Bjørsvik.* A switchable oxidation process leading to two various versatile pharmaceutical intermediates. Organic Process Research and Development. 2010, 14, 1379–1384.

Anna Tsoukala and Hans-René Bjørsvik.* Synthetic Route Discovery and Introductory Optimization of a Novel Process to Idebenone. Organic Process Research & Development. 2011, 15, 673–680.

Lucia Liguori and Hans-René Bjørsvik.* Multi-Jet Oscillating Disc milli-Reactor: A Novel Approach for Continuous Flow Organic Synthesis. Organic Process Research & Development 2011, 15, 997–1009.

Anna Tsoukala, Ludmila Peeva, Andrew G. Livingston, and Hans-René Bjørsvik.* Separation of reaction product and palladium catalyst after a Heck coupling reaction by means of organic solvent nanofiltration. ChemSusChem. 2012, 5, 188–193.

Raffaele Spaccini,Lucia Liguori,Carlo Punta, and Hans-René Bjørsvik* Organocatalyzed Epoxidation of Alkenes in Continuous Flow using a Multi-Jet Oscillating Disk Reactor. ChemSusChem. 2012, 5, 261-265.