Professor Thomas Wirth

: Available for postgraduate supervision

Teams and roles for Thomas Wirth

Professor of Organic Chemistry
School of Chemistry

Research interests

Synthetic Methodology:

Hypervalent Iodine Reagents
Chiral Selenium Reagents
Electrochemical Methods

supported by Computational Chemistry

Microreactor Technology:

Dangerous Reactions
Unusual Reaction Conditions
Electrochemical Synthesis

2011

Ahmed-Omer, B. , Barrow, D. A. and Wirth, T. 2011. Multistep reactions using microreactor chemistry. Arkivoc Online Journal of Organic Chemistry (4), pp.26-36.
Freudendahl, D. M. and Wirth, T. 2011. New selenium electrophiles and their reactivity. In: Woollins, J. D. and Laitinen, R. eds. Selenium and Tellurium Chemistry: From Small Molecules to Biomolecules and Materials. London: Springer. , pp.41-56.
Rasheed, M. , Elmore, S. C. and Wirth, T. 2011. Asymmetric reactions in flow reactors. In: Gruttadauria, M. and Giacalone, F. eds. Catalytic Methods in Asymmetric Synthesis: Advanced Materials, Techniques, and Applications. Hoboken: Wiley. , pp.345-371. (10.1002/9781118087992.ch8)
Rasheed, M. and Wirth, T. 2011. Fast optimisation of a Diels-Alder reaction in a flow microreactor by in-line HPLC analysis. Chimica Oggi - Chemistry Today 29 (3), pp.53-55.
Rasheed, M. and Wirth, T. 2011. Intelligent Microflow: Development of Self-Optimizing Reaction Systems. Angewandte Chemie - International Edition 50 (2), pp.357-358. (10.1002/anie.201006107)
Singh, F. V. and Wirth, T. 2011. Selenium compounds as ligands and catalysts. In: Wirth, T. ed. Organoselenium Chemistry: Synthesis and Reactions. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. , pp.321-360.
Singh, F. V. and Wirth, T. 2011. Selenium-catalyzed regioselective cyclization of unsaturated carboxylic acids using hypervalent iodine oxidants. Organic Letters 13 (24), pp.6504-6507. (10.1021/ol202800k)
Singh, F. V. and Wirth, T. 2011. Stereoselective reactions of organoselenium reagents including catalysis. In: Patai's Chemistry of Functional Groups. John Wiley & Sons(10.1002/9780470682531.pat0573)
Watts, K. , Gattrell, W. and Wirth, T. 2011. A practical microreactor for electrochemistry in flow. Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry 7 , pp.1108-1114. (10.3762/bjoc.7.127)
Wirth, T. 2011. Professor Siegfried Blechert: A Tribute. Arkivoc Online Journal of Organic Chemistry (4), pp.1-5.
Wirth, T. and Zanda, M. 2011. SYNTHESIS/SYNLETT Advisory Board Focus: Professor Thomas Wirth (Cardiff University, UK) [Interview]. Synthesis -Stuttgart- (5), pp.A26-A26. (10.1055/s-0030-1259586)
Zhao, L. , Li, Z. and Wirth, T. 2011. Preparation of Novel Chiral Non-Racemic Diselenides and Applications in Asymmetric Synthesis. European Journal of Organic Chemistry (1), pp.176-182. (10.1002/ejoc.201001272)
Zhao, L. , Li, Z. and Wirth, T. 2011. Asymmetric Methoxyselenenylations with Chiral Selenium Electrophiles. European Journal of Organic Chemistry 2011 (35), pp.7080-7082. (10.1002/ejoc.201101373)

2010

Altermann, S. , Schafer, S. and Wirth, T. 2010. New chiral hypervalent iodine(V) compounds as stoichiometric oxidants. Tetrahedron 66 (31), pp.5902-5907. (10.1016/j.tet.2010.05.079)
Brandt, J. C. et al. 2010. Safe and Efficient Ritter Reactions in Flow. Synlett (20), pp.3099-3103. (10.1055/s-0030-1259075)
Farooq, U. et al. 2010. Synthesis of new enantiomerically pure organoiodine catalysts and their application in the alpha-functionalization of ketones. Synthesis -Stuttgart- (6), pp.1023-1029. (10.1055/s-0029-1218640)
Freudendahl, D. M. , Iwaoka, M. and Wirth, T. 2010. Synthesis of New Sulfoxide-Containing Diselenides and Unexpected Cyclization Reactions to 2,3-Dihydro-1,4-benzoselenothiine 1-Oxides. European Journal of Organic Chemistry (20), pp.3934-3944. (10.1002/ejoc.201000514)
Khan, Z. A. , Iwaoka, M. and Wirth, T. 2010. Novel cyclization cascades to functionalized indanes and tetrahydronaphthalenes. Tetrahedron 66 (33), pp.6639-6646. (10.1016/j.tet.2010.03.062)
Luk, Y. , Allender, C. J. and Wirth, T. 2010. Molecular imprinted polymers binding low functionality templates. Tetrahedron Letters 51 (45), pp.5883-5885. (10.1016/j.tetlet.2010.08.108)
Ogura, F. et al., 2010. Dimethyl selenoxide. In: Paquette, L. A. ed. E-EROS encyclopedia of reagents for organic synthesis. Chichester: Wiley
Quideau, S. and Wirth, T. 2010. Hypervalent iodine chemistry-recent advances and applications [Preface]. Tetrahedron 66 (31), pp.5737-5738. (10.1016/j.tet.2010.06.026)
Schäfer, S. and Wirth, T. 2010. A versatile and highly reactive polyfluorinated hypervalent iodine(III) compound. Angewandte Chemie. International Edition 49 (15), pp.2786-2789. (10.1002/anie.200907134)
Shahzad, S. A. , Venin, C. and Wirth, T. 2010. Diselenide- and Disulfide-Mediated Synthesis of Isocoumarins. European Journal of Organic Chemistry (18), pp.3465-3472. (10.1002/ejoc.201000308)
Shahzad, S. A. , Vivant, C. and Wirth, T. 2010. Selenium-Mediated Synthesis of Biaryls through Rearrangement. Organic Letters 12 (6), pp.1364-1367. (10.1021/ol100274e)
Zhao, L. W. , Li, Z. and Wirth, T. 2010. Triptycene Derivatives: Synthesis and Applications. Chemistry Letters 39 (7), pp.658-667.

2009

Ahmed-Omer, B. , Barrow, D. A. and Wirth, T. 2009. Heck reactions using segmented flow conditions. Tetrahedron Letters 50 (26), pp.3352-3355. (10.1016/j.tetlet.2009.02.133)
Brandt, J. C. and Wirth, T. 2009. Controlling hazardous chemicals in microreactors: Synthesis with iodine azide. Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry 5 (30)(10.3762/bjoc.5.30)
Brandt, J. C. and Wirth, T. 2009. Homogeneous catalysis using microreactor technology. In: Benaglia, M. ed. Recoverable and Recyclable Catalysts. Oxford: Wiley. , pp.411-425. (10.1002/9780470682005.ch14)
Choi, J. , Shahzad, S. A. and Wirth, T. 2009. Dimethylaluminium methylselenolate. In: Paquette, L. A. ed. Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis (e-EROS). Chichester: Wiley. , pp.[n/a]. (10.1002/047084289X.rd300.pub2)
Farooq, U. , Shah, A. and Wirth, T. 2009. Hypervalent Bromine Compounds: Smaller, More Reactive Analogues of Hypervalent Iodine Compounds. Angewandte Chemie - International Edition 48 (6), pp.1018-1020. (10.1002/anie.200805027)
Freudendahl, D. M. et al. 2009. Green Chemistry with Selenium Reagents: Development of Efficient Catalytic Reactions. Angewandte Chemie - International Edition 48 (45), pp.8409-8411. (10.1002/anie.200903893)
Freudendahl, D. M. , Shahzad, S. A. and Wirth, T. 2009. Recent Advances in Organoselenium Chemistry. European Journal of Organic Chemistry (11), pp.1649-1664. (10.1002/ejoc.200801171)
Khan, Z. A. and Wirth, T. 2009. Synthesis of Indene Derivatives via Electrophilic Cyclization. Organic Letters 11 (1), pp.229-231. (10.1021/ol8024956)
Marino, J. P. et al., 2009. Diphenylselenium bis(trifluoroacetate). In: Paquette, L. A. ed. E-EROS Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis. Chichester: Wiley
Shah, A. et al., 2009. Iodoxolone-Based Hypervalent Iodine Reagents. Organic Letters 11 (16), pp.3578-3581. (10.1021/ol9014688)
Shahzad, S. A. and Wirth, T. 2009. Fast synthesis of benzofluorenes by selenium-mediated carbocyclizations. Angewandte Chemie. International Edition 48 (14), pp.2588-2591. (10.1002/anie.200806148)
Simpkins, N. S. and Wirth, T. 2009. tert-Butyl Hypoiodite. In: Paquette, L. A. ed. Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis (EROS). 2nd ed.. Chichester: Wiley
Uehlin, L. and Wirth, T. 2009. Synthesis of Chiral Acetals by Asymmetric Selenenylations. Phosphorus Sulfur and Silicon and the Related Elements 184 (6), pp.1374-1385. (10.1080/10426500902930167)

2008

Ahmed-Omer, B. , Barrow, D. A. and Wirth, T. 2008. Effect of segmented fluid flow, sonication and phase transfer catalysis on biphasic reactions in capillary microreactors. Chemical Engineering Journal 135 (S1), pp.S280-S283. (10.1016/j.cej.2007.07.017)
Ahmed-Omer, B. and Wirth, T. 2008. Liquid-liquid biphasic reactions. In: Wirth, T. ed. Microreactors in Organic Synthesis and Catalysis. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. , pp.122-139. (10.1002/9783527622856.ch4)
Altermann, S. M. et al. 2008. Catalytic Enantioselective alpha-Oxysulfonylation of Ketones Mediated by Iodoarenes. European Journal of Organic Chemistry (31), pp.5315-5328. (10.1002/ejoc.200800741)
Browne, D. M. , Niyomura, O. and Wirth, T. 2008. Catalytic addition-elimination reactions towards butenolides. Phosphorus Sulfur and Silicon and the Related Elements 183 (4), pp.1026-1035. (10.1080/10426500801901053)
Maruoka, K. et al., 2008. Diisobutylaluminium phenyl selenide. In: Paquette, L. A. ed. e-EROS encyclopedia of reagents for organic synthesis. Chichester: Wiley
Richardson, R. D. and Wirth, T. 2008. Tetraazafulvalene: "Organisches" Natrium. Chemie in unserer Zeit 42 (3), pp.190-191. (10.1002/ciuz.200890032)
Wirth, T. 2008. Enhancement of reaction rates by segmented flow technique: New aspects for organic synthesis. Presented at: 1st SynTOP conference Potsdam, Germany 1-13 June 2008. Smart synthesis and technologies for organic processes : 1st SynTOP conference, Potsdam, June 11 - 13, 2008. VDI-Berichte Vol. 2039. Düsseldorf: VDI-Verl.. , pp.103-104.

2007

Ahmed-Omer, B. , Brandt, J. C. and Wirth, T. 2007. Advanced organic synthesis using microreactor technology. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry 5 (5), pp.733-740. (10.1039/B615072A)
Browne, D. M. , Niyomura, O. and Wirth, T. 2007. Catalytic use of selenium electrophiles in cyclizations. Organic Letters 9 (16), pp.3169-3171. (10.1021/ol071223y)
Burgler, F. W. , Fragale, G. and Wirth, T. 2007. Stereoselective addition reactions with chalcogen electrophiles. Arkivoc (x), pp.21-28.
Paradine, S. M. et al., 2007. Catalytic enantioselective alpha-oxytosylation of propiophenone using chiral hypervalent iodine reagents. Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society 233 , pp.211-211.
Richardson, R. D. , Desaize, M. and Wirth, T. 2007. Hypervalent iodine-mediated aziridination of alkenes: Mechanistic insights and requirements for catalysis. Chemistry - A European Journal 13 (23), pp.6745-6754. (10.1002/chem.200700306)
Richardson, R. D. et al. 2007. Tetrafluoro-IBA and -IBX: Hypervalent Iodine Reagents. Angewandte Chemie - International Edition 46 (34), pp.6529-6532. (10.1002/anie.200702313)
Simmons, S. J. et al., 2007. Attempted aziridinations and sulfonilimations using simple iron catalysts and hypervalent iodine reagents. Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society 233 , pp.253-253.

2006

Ahmed, B. , Barrow, D. A. and Wirth, T. 2006. Enhancement of reaction rates by segmented fluid flow in capillary scale reactors. Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis 348 (9), pp.1043-1048. (10.1002/adsc.200505480)
Niyomura, O. , Cox, M. and Wirth, T. 2006. Electrochemical generation and catalytic use of selenium electrophiles. Synlett (2), pp.251-254. (10.1055/s-2005-923585)

2005

Haas, J. , Bissmire, S. and Wirth, T. 2005. Iodine Monochloride-Amine Complexes: An Experimental and Computational Approach to New Chiral Electrophiles. Chemistry - A European Journal 11 (19), pp.5777-5785. (10.1002/chem.200500507)
Wirth, T. 2005. Hypervalent iodine chemistry in synthesis: Scope and new directions. Angewandte Chemie - International Edition 44 (24), pp.3656-3665. (10.1002/anie.200500115)
Yusubov, M. S. and Wirth, T. 2005. Solvent-free reactions with hypervalent iodine reagents. Organic Letters 7 (3), pp.519-521. (10.1021/ol047363e)

2004

French, A. N. , Cole, J. and Wirth, T. 2004. Tetrahydrofuranylation of alcohols using hypervalent iodine reagents. Synlett (13), pp.2291-2294. (10.1055/s-2004-832810)
Khokhar, S. S. and Wirth, T. 2004. Selenocyclizations: control by coordination and by the counterion. Angewandte Chemie - International Edition 43 (5), pp.631-633. (10.1002/anie.200352884)
Khokhar, S. S. and Wirth, T. 2004. Nucleophile-selective selenocyclizations. European Journal of Organic Chemistry (22), pp.4567-4581. (10.1002/ejoc.200400526)

2002

Jauslin, M. L. et al., 2002. A cellular model for Friedreich Ataxia reveals small-molecule glutathione peroxidase mimetics as novel treatment strategy. Human Molecular Genetics 11 (24), pp.3055-3063. (10.1093/hmg/11.24.3055)
Schoumacher, F. et al., 2002. A cellular model for Friedrich ataxia and its application in drug discovery. Neuromuscular Disorders 12 (7-8), pp.774-774.
Uehlin, L. , Fragale, G. and Wirth, T. 2002. New and Efficient Chiral Selenium Electrophiles. Chemistry - A European Journal 8 (5), pp.1125-1133. (10.1002/1521-3765(20020301)8:5<1125::AID-CHEM1125>3.0.CO;2-I)

2001

Burpee, S. J. et al., 2001. Progress in a computational investigation of conformers of chiral hypervalent iodine compounds. Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society 221 , pp.U170-U171.
Uehlin, L. and Wirth, T. 2001. Chiral selenium electrophiles on solid-support. Chimia 55 (1-2), pp.65-67.
Uehlin, L. and Wirth, T. 2001. Mixed acetals as new precursors for selenium electrophiles. Phosphorus, Sulfur and Silicon and the Related Elements 171 (1), pp.189-194. (10.1080/10426500108046650)
Uehlin, L. and Wirth, T. 2001. Novel polymer-bound chiral selenium electrophiles. Organic Letters 3 (18), pp.2931-2933. (10.1021/ol0164435)
Wirth, T. 2001. IBX - New reactions with an old reagent. Angewandte Chemie - International Edition 40 (15), pp.2812-2814. (10.1002/1521-3773(20010803)40:15<2812::AID-ANIE2812>3.0.CO;2-X)

2000

Spichty, M. , Fragale, G. and Wirth, T. 2000. Theoretical investigations on the stereoselective selenenylation reaction of alkenes. Journal of the American Chemical Society 122 (44), pp.10914-10916. (10.1021/ja001602l)
Wirth, T. 2000. Organoselenium chemistry in stereoselective reactions. Angewandte Chemie - International Edition 39 (21), pp.3740-3749. (10.1002/1521-3773(20001103)39:21<3740::AID-ANIE3740>3.0.CO;2-N)

Design and Synthesis of New Chiral Selenium Electrophiles: high stereoselectivities are obtained with very simple and easily accessible reagents. Efficient polymer-bound selenium electrophiles with all the advantages in handling and work-up have been synthesized and used in various applications towards natural product synthesis.
Development of New Hypervalent Iodine Reagents: hypervalent iodine compounds are versatile alternative reagents in reactions traditionally employing heavy metal complexes. The development of chiral reagents led to various new stereoselective reactions. Due to their high reactivity, even the functionalization of alkanes can be achieved under mild reaction conditions.
Coordination of Chiral Ligands towards Electrophiles: we have developed a reagent-controlled stereoselective iodolactonization reaction applying a new method using a combination of ICl and a primary amine.
Electrochemical Methods: The selective functionalization of alkenes by combining electrochemical methods with electrophilic reagents leads to promising catalytic reactions. The direct electron transfer at electrode surfaces is frequently referred to as one of the prototypical green technologies of the future.
Microreactor Technology: The translation of both traditional flask-based chemistry and entirely new procedures on to chipbased platforms becomes more challenging as complexity of operation increases. We are developing new microreactors for reactions under segmented-flow conditions.
Computational Chemistry: The evaluation of reaction pathways, transition states, intermediates and mechanisms by close interaction of theory and experiment on various levels is supporting many of the research areas mentioned above.

In many areas of Synthetic Organic Chemistry reactions are needed, which produce in good yields stereochemically uniform compounds. In this respect many remarkable efforts have been undertaken and a variety of efficient as well as elegant stereochemical transformations using prochiral substrates are known. However, there are certain classes of compounds which cannot be efficiently used in these reactions. Only a few useful methods are known for the stereoselective functionalization of not or only weakly activated C-H bonds or C=C bonds. In our research projects we are investigating and developing stoichiometric and catalytic reactions leading to products with new stereogenic centers.

For more information on specific projects with Professor Thomas Wirth please review with the Molecular synethsis section of our research project themes.

CH5103 Foundations of Organic Chemistry

CH4303 / CH5312 Advanced Organic Chemistry

CH3404 / CHT228 Asymmetric Synthesis of Pharmaceuticals and Natural Products

CHT351 Drug Discovery Chemistry

Details of modules can be found in course finder.

Diplom University of Bonn (1989). PhD Technical University of Berlin (1992, S. Blechert); JSPS Fellow, Kyoto University (1993, K. Fuji). Habilitation, University of Basel (1999, B. Giese). Visiting Scientist, University of Toronto (1999). Visiting Scientist, Chuo University, Tokyo (2000). Visiting Scientist, Osaka University (2004). Visiting Scientist, Osaka Prefecture University (2008). Werner Prize, New Swiss Chemical Society (2000). Appointed as Professor of Organic Chemistry, Cardiff, in 2000.

Wolfson Research Merit Award (2016, Royal Society), Elected fellow of The Learned Society of Wales (2016), Bader award (2016, Royal Society of Chemistry), Distinguished Visiting Project Professor at Kyoto University, Japan (2017/2018)

Organic Synthesis

Flow Synthesis

Electrochemistry

Hypervalent Iodine Chemistry

Energetic Materials

Current supervision

Campbell Wolfe

Rojan Ali

Ohud Alzaidi

Bethan Winterson

Huw Chadwick

Rawiyah Alkahtani

Noura Alqahtani

Contact Details

[email protected]
+44 29208 76968

Breakthrough in activating greener chemical reactions

External profiles

ORCID

Professor Thomas Wirth

Teams and roles for Thomas Wirth

Professor of Organic Chemistry

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Synthetic Methodology:

Microreactor Technology:

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